The Call of the Siren
by kmj1989
Summary: Bianca Serena was content with her life, singing in her grandfather's club every night and trying to stay out of the rest of the family business during the day. That is, until two men, one who could mess with her mind and the other who messed with her fork, sat down at her dinner table. Now, suddenly, she's expected to help save the world.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"I think you gentlemen were seated at the wrong table. Let me get the maitre d' to find you another one," I said, after I overcame the shock of finding two men sitting at my usual dinner table.

And then they had the audacity to smile at me. Well, the shorter one smiled, but the taller one most definitely smirked. "No, Miss Serena, we are at the correct table," the shorter one told me, standing to pull out a chair. And he was still smiling.

"Won't you join us, Miss Serena?" The tall one stood as well, now raising an eyebrow in challenge. It was almost like he knew I could never allow myself to back down from a challenge.

I allowed the shorter one, the Brit, to assist me, all while keeping an eye on the German. He seemed far more likely to cause problems than his friend. And he had been the more challenging one, anyway. "So, gentlemen," I began, placing my napkin in my lap precisely, fully aware of every move either of my now dinner mates might make. "Would you mind informing me as to why you decided to intrude on my dinner plans? Also, your names might be helpful. I seriously doubt you want me to continue referring to you as Tall and Short."

The Brit shook his head rather vehemently, while his friend laughed at him. "You don't like it simply because you're the short one," he said, smirking even more.

"I could call you Brit and German, if you prefer," I suggested innocently.

The smirk fell from his lips in an instant. Interesting, I thought, taking a sip from my water glass. He is clearly touchy about his origin. Then my eyes fell to his right hand rubbing his left forearm, seemingly unconscious. Though once he noticed my gaze, he instantly stopped, glaring as he pulled his sleeve to cover it, I was still able to catch the tiniest glimpse of a crude tattoo. And that tattoo made everything make sense.

This all took less than a minute, during which the shorter one started to apologize for his companion. "No need," I said, cutting him off and breaking the slight glare he was giving his friend. "I'm actually the one who should apologize. I know better than to assume anything from one's accent. Forgive me." I saw the tall one's measuring gaze, as though he were assessing just how honest I was being. But once I steadily met and kept his scrutiny, he finally nodded once, relaxing just the tiniest bit.

The shorter one watched the whole exchange with interest, then took the opportunity to speak again. "Well, Miss Serena, my name is Charles Xavier, this is Erik Lensherr. And we have a proposition for you," he said congenially, while handing me a glass of wine. From my bottle of wine.

"Gentlemen, I can assure you that I am not that kind of girl, regardless of what you may or may not have heard about me," I said, feigning shock and insult.

It was far too entertaining to watch Xavier splutter into his wine, coughing as he hurried to assure me that that was not what he had meant at all. Lensherr watched it all, smirking slightly into his glass, not at all concerned about his friend. I simply tucked into my steak that Henry had slid, unobtrusively, onto the table in front of me.

I had taken three bites before Xavier finally clued in. "You didn't actually mean that, did you?" he asked, though his smile told me he already knew the answer.

"Really, Charles, what gave it away?" Lensherr asked, spearing a piece of melon on his fork with a very amused expression on his face.

"I'm not sure coming to talk to you was a good idea, after all, Miss Serena," Xavier said, taking the ribbing with good grace, even for his feigned hurt. "I'm not at all sure I could handle having two of you. After all, you and Erik seem to have rather similar humors."

"Well, why don't you tell me why you're here, and then we'll go from there," I prompted. After all, they had yet to tell me why they had joined my dinner, without my consent.

"Yes, that's probably best," Xavier agreed, but his mouth never moved. The only movement he made was a single raised eyebrow.

The thought that they probably spent far too much time together, as their expressions were rubbing off on each other, flitted through my mind, but it was very momentary. The rest of my attention was arrested by the fact that he had spoken to me in my mind. "You're a telepath, then?" I asked him, though without uttering a single word, before quickly shutting him out.

Xavier seemed a bit surprised. "You've met someone like me before?" he carefully asked aloud.

Forcing the snarl out of my voice, I said, "Yes. It wasn't pleasant, so I would greatly appreciate it if you stayed out of my head." After receiving a reassuring nod from him, I turned to Lensherr. "And what exactly can you do, Signore?"

Another smirk quirked his lips, and I felt my fork jerk out of my hand. It twirled in the air for a moment, then sailed straight to his lips. "That was an exceptional steak," he said, once his mouth was empty again.

"Yes, it was," I said pointedly, since he had eaten the last bite. And of course, he simply smirked more. "So you can move things with your mind? Or is it just metal?"

"Metall," he answered promptly, his German accent more prominent.

"Interesting," I said, raising my glass to my lips once more.

"And what exactly can you do, Fraulein Serena?" Lensherr inquired.

"I sing," I said, matching his smirk.

"Yes, I did notice your name on the marquis outside," Xavier commented. "But is that your… special power?"

"Special power? That makes it sound like a cheap parlor trick," I said conversationally, before drinking the last of my wine and standing up. "And I assure you gentlemen that it is most definitely not a cheap trick. But you are welcome to stay and watch, find out for yourselves."

I quickly walked backstage, feeling their gaze on me the entire time. Lorna met me in my dressing room and made quick work of getting me stage ready. Then, once Freddy signalled to me, I stepped onto the stage, waiting at the microphone for Marcel to announce me. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce the lovely, the talented, the intriguing Bianca Sereno, Atlantic City's very own White Siren!"

As his last words were fading into the night, the house lights dimmed, leaving a spotlight on the stage. I could see the bright light through the curtains and prepared to be temporarily blinded, as my band struck the first notes. A grin tried to form, but I fought it down. It would ruin the stage image I had carefully crafted, so instead, I allowed a little pout. And the moment the curtains fully opened, I opened my mouth.

"Stars shining bright above you, Night breezes seem to whisper I love you. Birds singing in the sycamore tree. Dream a little dream of me."

As my vision came back, I made sure to look toward my dinner companions. I was interested in their reactions, and they didn't disappoint. Xavier had a puzzled look on his face, as though he were aware of something happening, but not quite sure what. Lensherr, however, had that smirk again, like he knew exactly what I was doing.

My show was a little more than an hour, and I finished with a new favorite. It had only been a few months since Elvis had released it, but I had adored it from the very first moment I heard it. "Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you."

My last notes rang in the air for an unnaturally long moment, mesmerizing my audience. And it wasn't until Marcel began applauding that it was broken. I inclined my head slightly, acknowledging their applause, before the curtains closed once more. I quietly thanked my band, then headed for my dressing room. "Hey Freddy, the two guys I had dinner with can come back, but just them, okay?" I instructed the stage manager, closing the door once he had hurriedly nodded.

Slipping behind the dressing screen in one corner, I slipped off my shoes and unzipped my dress. An unfamiliar knock sounded, and I grinned. "Come in."

I peeked my head around the screen just in time to see Xavier and Lensherr walk in the room, just as I had suspected. "Make yourselves comfortable, gentlemen. I'll be done in just a moment," I told them, stepping out of my dress and hanging it before wrapping my satin robe around my shoulders.

Once covered, at least somewhat, I headed to the bottle chilling in a bucket on my vanity. "And how did you like the show?" I asked, handing each man a glass of wine.

"It was spectacular." Xavier toasted me with his glass, keeping his eyes firmly on my face, after the tiniest of peaks.

Lensherr, on the other hand, had no such compunctions. His eyes roamed my slip-and-robe clad body, before finally meeting my eyes once more. "It's no wonder why they call you the White Siren," he said at last, admiration filling both his words and gaze.

It was my turn to smirk. "That's actually poking fun at my name. In Italian, Bianca-"

"Means white," he finished for me.

"So you know Italian," I said, letting surprise and approval color my tone. "But my last name comes from the fact that the women in my family have had the same… what did you call it, Xavier? Special power?... for centuries, millenia, even. In fact, they are where the Greek myths of sirens come from."

Both men looked rather shocked. "Are you saying that you come from a line of mutants?" Xavier finally managed to ask, excitement and intrigue causing him to speak so quickly, he nearly slurred his words together.

"Since before Homer?" Lensherr added, sounding more skeptical than his friend.

"I'm not sure what you're meaning by mutant, but yes. Any woman born in my family has had a special gift of music, able to manipulate a mind, or multiple, with just her voice," I answered, swirling the wine in my glass. "So I am literally the White Siren," I added, before taking a sip.

"Well, that is fascinating," Lensherr began, after several long moments of the men trying to digest what they had just learned. "But how is magical singing going to help us beat Schmidt? Shaw, I mean."

I stiffened at the name. "What are you talking about?" I asked. If they were talking about who I thought they were, I would need more wine.

Xavier sighed, then tossed back the rest of his drink. "That's what we came here to talk to you about. We're with the CIA, recruiting mutants to help us stop another mutant, a very dangerous man called Sebastian Shaw. Or Klaus Schmidt, as Erik knew him."

Choosing my words carefully, I said, "So you're collecting other… mutants to fight him. That's what you want with me. But you didn't know anything about me, other than I'm a mutant?"

Lensherr nodded. "Charles was able to use a transmitter to find other mutants. But it doesn't tell us what powers you have. So, I'm terribly sorry, but you won't be of much use to us. We should be going now."

"Why do you want to stop Schmidt?"

My words stopped him in his tracks as he was turning to leave. "He killed my mother," came his growled answer. "So I will return the favor."

"Interesting. Do you have any idea of how to do that? After all, Schmidt can absorb any energy thrown his way. There's not much that could harm him," I said, feigning a nonchalance that I most definitely did not feel.

"And how would you know that?" Lensherr's gaze was back on me, piercing me, as if he might rip the answer from me with merely his look.

"He's the man who killed my mother," I replied. "So we have that in common. But he's also my father. And I inherited his powers, as well. So you'll need me on this little mission of yours. At least, if you want to succeed."

 **AN: And here we have yet another story I'm starting. But I promise I will finish this one, never fear! This one has been rolling around in my brain ever since I restarted Star Light, Star Bright, so I finally gave in. It's fun to have a contemporary for Charles and Erik! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Lensherr was in front of me far more quickly than I had thought him, or anyone, capable. "That monster is your father?" he growled, gripping my arms so tightly I was bound to have bruises the next morning. Or, I would have, had I been a normal person.

Instead, I easily broke his grasp, calling on my powers to do so. "I didn't chose him, so it's not like you could blame me for it," I shot back.

Xavier intervened before things could get more heated. "Why don't we all take a seat? Miss Serena, you can tell us your story. And I wouldn't say no to more of that excellent wine."

"Help yourself," I told him, settling into the chair at my vanity. It was the only one in my dressing room, so I watched, feeling rather vindicated, as they searched for some place to sit. In the end, Xavier perched awkwardly on the vanity next to me, while Lensherr simply leaned against the door and glowered at me, successfully blocking the only exit from the room.

"My nonno, my grandfather, was a rather prominent businessman in Sicily, which meant he had many political ties, leading to many meetings with important people," I began, after a long drink of wine for fortification. "My grandmother passed away giving birth to my mother, causing my grandfather to be very protective and sheltering. But she was also the woman of the house, so at the young age of thirteen, she began to be the hostess for all of my grandfather's meetings at the house. And she was often asked to sing at these meetings, to show off her extraordinary gift. After all, she was the first female born in the family for generations. In late 1937, he had meetings with prominent German leaders. It was at one such meeting that my mother caught the attentions of a certain Herr Doktor."

"So your grandfather was a Nazi sympathizer," Lensherr spat at me.

I retorted instantly. "He was nothing of the sort. He used his political connections to slowly get the family out of Italy. He saw that war was coming, he'd lived through the first war, and he wanted nothing to do with it. But he also wanted to be able to continue to take care of his family once he left."

I glared at Lensherr, silently daring him to once again malign my nonno. He didn't, however, simply snorted and shook his head. "Please do continue, Fraulein Serena," he said, mockingly inclining his head in my direction.

Ignoring him, I started to simply tell Xavier my story. "By early '37, Schmidt was a regular visitor in my grandfather's house. My grandfather never liked him, but had to continue to pander to him in order to keep protecting his family. During this time, Schmidt paid an unhealthy amount of attention to my mother, especially for such a young girl. But he was fascinated with her gift, and he flattered her endlessly. As a sheltered teenager, she thrived on the attention. But by this time, my grandfather had started hearing rumors of Schmidt's experiments on people with gifts, so he knew he had to get my mother away from him. He planned to leave Italy, with what little family still lived there, but my mother managed to sneak out to see Schmidt one last time. You see, he had manipulated her into thinking that he loved her, and she had foolishly fallen in love herself. And I happen to be the product of that last night together."

Xavier seemed appropriately horrified, and even Lensherr, from the corner of my eye, looked a bit chagrined. I knocked back the last of my wine before speaking again. "Schmidt purposefully impregnated my mother so that he could see what would come from two… you call us mutants? Mutant parents. What he failed to tell my mother was that his own mother had died giving birth to him, as he had absorbed all her energy and strength, even from the womb. And I did the same to my mother. She died at six months along, and I weighed a healthy nine and a half pounds."

A shocked silence followed my words. I poured myself another glass of wine, glad I'd ordered the red for the night. After all, champagne didn't have quite the same numbing effect as red wine did, and after what I'd just shared, I needed the numbing.

"I grew up here," I continued tonelessly, at this point just wanting to get it all over with. "Nonno didn't want to make the same mistake with me that he had with my mother, so I wasn't sheltered like she was. At least not in the same way. I knew all about the family business, everything that was involved in that. But my grandfather refused to tell me anything about my father, other than his name. So, as a rebellious teenager, I left. I'd heard my grandfather talking with some of my uncles about the Hellfire Club in Las Vegas and that that was where my father was now. Once there, it wasn't hard to find him. I simply had to ask around for a few hours, and then one of his minions, Azazel, collected me."

More wine was needed, I could tell, to finish this. Apparently, Xavier agreed with me, as he simply poured more into my glass. I nodded in thanks. "For the first six months or so, it was fine. Schmidt doted on me, spoiling me like he claimed he wasn't allowed to do as I grew up. I was on the periphery of their… business ventures, so it didn't seem terribly different from what I had always known. Until I walked in one day when he wasn't expecting me. I was supposed to be shopping for a new dress for the New Year's Eve gala he was throwing, but I'd found the dress I wanted far sooner than he had anticipated, so he hadn't quite… concluded his business when I got back. I found him using Janos and Azazel to torture a member of the President's Secret Service to get insider information about the goings on of the White House, just in case he ever needed it. Of course, Schmidt convinced me that everything was fine, that he wasn't really hurt, or at least he tried to. I'd seen that man, with blood running from his forehead into his eyes. I knew what I'd seen. But I convinced myself that it was just a one time thing. And Schmidt was incredibly careful after that to keep it all away from me. But not even he could control everything. I saw more and more, heard beatings, tortures, really, and the pieces fell into a picture I could no longer ignore. However, I was still young and stupid, so I confronted him."

"And you managed to get out alive?" Xavier asked, clearly impressed. "Not many could claim that, I imagine."

"Yes, once I realized that my father was even worse than my grandfather had always told me he was, Schmidt tried to keep me there. He tried using first Azazel, then Riptide to prevent me from leaving, and then he sicced Emma Frost on me once I used the men's energy against them. My loving father allowed that… witch to rape my mind, trying to change my memories so that I would stay there. Her assault was overwhelming at first, drawing on my very worst memories to try to bring me to submission."

"But she didn't succeed." Lensherr's tone told me that he was already guessing what happened next.

"No, she did not." I grinned viciously in remembrance. "As she replayed the memory of my nonno's heart attack over and over, she almost beat me, but somehow, the tiny bit of memory of Nonno telling me he was proud of me brought me back to myself. And then I did the same thing to her that I had done to her comrades. I used her power against her, and put her in a coma for two weeks."

Lensherr looked at me with a newfound respect, though it battled with a shrewd contemplation. Xavier simply refilled my glass, fear-tinged awe filling his eyes.

"What did Schmidt do after?" Lensherr asked.

"He tried to keep me there himself," I answered, after a long drink of wine. "But our powers sort of… cancel each other out, and since my nonno has made sure I know how to protect myself, I left. I was back here in Atlantic City before night fell, and I've never seen the man since."

The three of us were silent for a while, as the men attempted to digest everything I'd just told them, and I drained my glass, hoping it would help me forget everything I'd just told them. Finally, it was Xavier who broke the silence. "Would you come with us, Bianca? We- I would understand if you feel you can't, but we could desperately use your help."

I couldn't help the smirk that crossed my face. "Do you really think I would have told you all that if I was planning on telling you no?" I shook my head in slight amusement. "Do you gentlemen have a place for the night?"

For a telepath, Xavier wasn't terribly good at following changes in conversation. Fortunately for him, his friend was. "We had planned on heading back to Quantico tonight, but our little interview has been a bit longer than we anticipated."

"I'll get you rooms. Or one, if that's what you prefer. We don't ask questions at The Siren."

Xavier's face turned a lovely shade of puce as he spluttered his protest. "Relax, Charles," Lensherr ordered. "She was merely teasing."

"If you were together, you wouldn't have reacted to me the way you did when I came out half dressed," I explained drolly. "But I should probably put something else on. Nonno would probably have another heart attack if he saw me dressed like this in the presence of strange men."

"He's protective of you, then?" Xavier asked curiously.

I smirked. "I am one of three women born into this family in the past century. Of course he's protective. But what he doesn't know won't hurt me."

Slipping behind the dressing screen once more, I quickly put my dress from dinner back on. Fluffing my hair out, I headed to the door. "Let's get you boys some rooms."

…

Getting the men settled took all of five minutes, and that was mostly the walk from the club to the front desk of the hotel. I merely had to request the concierge take care of them and there was instantly two rooms for them. "I'll meet you here at eight in the morning," I informed them, before heading to Nonno's private office.

"I heard you enchanted the entirety of the club tonight," he said, continuing in his ledger for a moment before looking up at me. "Just as you always do. I also heard you had due gentiluomini visit during dinner, and then in your dressing room."

"Yes, Nonno, I did," I said, coming to sit in his desk, just as I always had for as long as I could remember. "But it's not what you were thinking. Unfortunately. The tall one was really rather attractive. Both of them are, actually."

Nonno glowered, but otherwise failed to rise to my baiting. "What did they want? It couldn't have been too bad if you got them rooms for the night."

I shook my head in amazed amusement. "I am eternally awed at how quickly you know everything that happens in this place."

"It's my job, both as the don and your nonno, to do so." he informed me, just as he always had. "Now, quit stalling and tell me what they wanted."

Sighing, I started slowly. "They're with the CIA, not the FBI, and they're trying to stop Schmidt."

"So you're leaving me again." It was said without a trace of malice, but I still felt it like a wrecking ball to the heart.

"I have to, Nonno," I said quietly. "If I don't, they may not be able to stop him. And I can't let him hurt any more innocents."

Nonno was quiet for a long moment, simply gazing into my face. Then, as he cupped my cheek with one large, weathered hand, he told me, "You are the very immagine of your madre cara, but you are the spirito della tua nonna. She was always doing what she thought best, regardless of what I thought. She was fearless. You will need that, mia tesoro."

"I'll come back, Nonno," I said, though I somehow felt a premonition telling me I was wrong. I ignored it and continued. "I belong here, with you and the family."

"And you will always have a place here with us," he assured.

I kissed his forehead and stood up. "Would you apologize to Lotta for me? I'll be missing a few music lessons, at least."

"I'm not sure she will understand, but I will. Now, you should get some rest. Who knows when you will get another chance to do so in peace?"

 **AN: I know it's been forever. Settling into a normal 9-5 type job is more exhausting than I thought it would be, and I just want to sleep when I get home. But now that I'm getting more settled in, I will try to write more often for you guys.**

 **Here's the translations for you: due gentiluomini= two gentlemen**

 **Nonno says, "You are the very image of your dear mother, but you are the spirit of your grandmother.**

 **mia tesoro= my treasure**

 **Thanks for reading, and especially to those who followed and favorited. A shout out to A.D. Tellen and CrystalVixen93 for your reviews. I always love them!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I met Xavier and Lensherr in the hotel lobby the next morning at eight o'clock precisely, rather pleased that they were on time. After all, Nonno had always told me that punctuality spoke volumes about a person's character.

Xavier greeted me warmly, then eyed my two suitcases with amusement. "That's a bit more than we're used to seeing," he said, taking the bag from me in a show of chivalry.

"Three pieces of luggage is a lot?" I questioned, noticing Lensherr speaking with Paul, one of the valets.

"The rest of our team has come with only a small bag, if that," he replied. "Some haven't really had much to pack."

"What sort of people are on this team of yours?"

"We have a stripper, a felon, and a recovering drug addict."

Lensherr's voice in my ear surprised me, but I forced myself not to jump. That was clearly what he was going for, so I refused to give it to him. "He's not serious, is he?" I asked Xavier, doubting my decision for the first time.

Xavier's face twisted, like he was fighting what he wanted to say. In the end, he simply said, "Yes, but they're good people. We'll tell you about them on the road, yes?" I found myself in the car rather quickly after that.

"You're the last person we'll pick up," Xavier told me once we were on the road. "The rest are already in Langley. Now, we've got the two of us, obviously, and my sister, Raven. She can transform into whatever form she wishes, look like anyone in the world." I could hear the pride, tinged with worry, in his words. "Oh, can't forget Moira, Agent MacTaggert, our official liaison with the CIA. She's the one who got us all started on this path, well, except for Erik, of course. Then we've got Hank. He's a genius, certifiably."

"He's also got ridiculously huge feet and incredible agility," Lensherr informed dryly.

"Yes, well, his intelligence is what really intrigues me. He graduated Harvard at the age of fifteen, can you believe that? He's the one who built Cerebro, the machine that helped us find you. And he's nearly completed an incredible jet, one that's better than any currently in use by the military. And he's-"

"Then we've got Angel, our former stripper. She can fly, hence the name," Lensherr butted in, giving his friend an annoyed look over his shoulder, before cutting his eyes back to the road. "Sean can scream at terribly high pitches, though Charles thinks he can use it to fly. Some sort of supersonic sound waves or something. He's the recovering drug addict. Darwin was a cab driver. He can apparently adapt to survive any situation. And lastly, we have Alex, our convicted felon. He emits energy blasts, but he can't control them."

Xavier spoke up, sounding slightly annoyed. "That's what we'll be working on. Actually, you'd probably be the perfect person to help him learn to control it, Bianca. He couldn't possibly hurt you, not with your powers. Would you mind helping him?"

I was a bit overwhelmed at the information overload I'd just been given, not too mention surprised at the fact that it sounded like most of them couldn't really control their powers. "Just how old are these people?" I asked, instead of answering Xavier's question.

"Sean, Angel, and Alex are still teenagers, while Raven, Hank, and Darwin are all early twenties," Lensherr replied, looking over at me like he knew exactly what I was thinking. And that he agreed with me.

"Moira, I mean Agent MacTaggert is older than that," Xavier interjected, rather insistently.

"So that's why my singing didn't affect you," I said, understanding dawning. But both men looked confused. "I've concluded that my singing doesn't affect men under about forty or so only if their affections are already engaged elsewhere."

Xavier spluttered. "I'm not- No, I would never- My feelings are not engaged anywhere, let alone with Moira. That would be terribly unprofessional of me."

"Charles, lying to yourself isn't healthy," Lensherr reproved with a smirk.

"Well, what about you?" Xavier deflected. "You were affected by Bianca's singing. You had to have been."

Lehnsherr shrugged nonchalantly, passing a slow van. "I'm not denying that, Charles. But I simply felt content, relaxed. It was a rather nice break, thank you." The last was aimed at me.

"Of course. That's how I get my crowd to come back every night. And they might feel just the tiniest bit lucky, and head to the casino afterwards," I said, grinning.

"That's not terribly ethical," Xavier complained.

"And reading girls' minds to find out what they like so they'll sleep with you is?" Lehnsherr asked sardonically.

I laughed at Xavier's uncomfortable shifting. "And after the first night, they knew. They all knew. They just didn't care. Especially since the house took care of them. After all, you both received a voucher for one hundred dollars if you had chosen to go to the casino."

"Yes, thank you for that," Lehnsherr grinned. "I made a tidy sum last night."

"So that's where you went last night!" Xavier exclaimed. "You went gambling?"

"We can't all be the sole heir of a large fortune, Charles. Some of us have to earn our living."

"We are getting paid by the CIA," Xavier reminded.

"It never hurts to have a nest egg."

…

After far too long in the car, we finally arrived at the facility in Langley. "There you are," a bubbly blonde greeted us, practically the moment we stepped out. She wrapped her arms around Charles. "I thought you might have forgotten about us."

"Never," he laughed, hugging her, as well. Then he turned to me. "Raven, I'd like you to meet Bianca. Bianca, this is my sister, Raven."

"Hi!" she squealed, moving toward me like she was going to hug me. But, as I straightened and pulled back slightly, she stopped. "It'll be so nice to have another girl around. We're so outnumbered."

"Mmhmm," I murmured, slightly shocked by her exuberance. Xavier had been ridiculously optimistic, but this seemed to be an entirely new thing.

"Raven, why don't you show Bianca to the room next to yours?" Xavier suggested heavily. "The two of you can get to know each other a bit that way."

He studiously avoided the glare I send his direction, but Lehnsherr smirked. But apparently he had a shred of honor, buried deeply. "I'll show her. You and Raven can catch up. After all, it's been what? Three days since you last saw each other," he said, eyebrow raised mockingly at his friend.

Raven, however, didn't catch the slight dig. "Yes, I haven't seen you in forever!" she squealed. "I've missed you!"

Lehnsherr and I walked into the compound and the other two headed to what Xavier had pointed out as Cerebro. "Are you sure those two are siblings?" I asked, feeling slightly confused.

"Technically, they're not related, even legally," he explained with a quick grin, before growing serious. "Charles caught Raven breaking into his kitchen when they were children. She had run away from home because her parents abused her, claiming she was a demon. Charles took her in, using his powers to convince his mother and stepfather that she belonged with them. But neither adult was terribly, shall we say, good at being a parent, so Charles practically raised them both."

Well, that shed new light on the perpetual optimist. "And what about you?" I asked softly.

Instantly, Lehnsherr's face shuttered. For a long moment, I didn't think he would answer. In fact, I was ready to move on to another subject when he did begin to speak softly. "You noticed my… tattoo last night. My family lived in Dusseldorf, until the S.S. came knocking. Or rather, broke the door down. I was nine. My power manifested when the guards at Auschvitz separated me from my parents, and I tried to pull the gate between us down. Doktor Schmidt saw it all happening and… tested me."

After another long moment of silence between us, I spoke. "Your mother was part of it, wasn't she?"

A grim smile crossed his face as we entered a hallway with several rooms off it. "I couldn't move a coin, so he shot her. After that, I spent nearly every waking moment with him, trying to harness my power to kill him, to escape. But the war ended, and somehow he managed to evade justice, so I will bring justice to him."

We came to a particular door and he stopped, opening it for me. "For what it's worth, I am sorry for what happened," I said. "We'll find him, and he will pay for what he's done."

Lehnsherr looked at me, and an understanding passed between us. We each knew that the other was willing to do what needed to be done, and that we had an ally in doing it. It was a nice feeling, especially since I was pretty sure that Xavier wasn't on the same page about that.

"Come meet the others." Xavier's voice in my head broke through our silence, and I scowled. I really didn't like telepaths.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Lehnsherr said wryly, setting my suitcases further in my room.

"Or he'll just have to learn to stay out of my head," I replied, sugar coating every word.

"I think I would like to see that," he admitted, grinning.

…

The others were waiting for us in what seemed to be a recreation room of sorts. And the moment we walked in, the entire room turned to look at us. It felt rather like when I was on stage, so I slipped into my stage persona, mostly without even realizing it. A tiny pout formed on my lips, and I stood a bit taller, with one hip cocked. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lehnsherr smirking again.

"The fox is who you got last night?" A scrawny teenager with rather unfortunate orange hair and more freckles than apparent common sense was ogling me, jaw dropped and everything.

"The fox has a name, and could probably turn you into a gibbering idiot without much effort," Lehnsherr spoke coldly in my defense. "So I'd suggest you keep any unflattering thoughts to yourself."

The boy nodded, looking suitably censored, and Xavier quickly introduced us all to cover the awkward tension that followed. Just as Darwin, the tall quiet African American, shook my hand in welcome, a serious looking woman in a suit came into the room. Since I'd already heard about Agent MacTaggert, and there couldn't be that many female agents, I guessed that was her. "Charles, could I speak with you a moment?"

"Ah, Moira!" he exclaimed, joyfully proving my earlier theory on his feelings correct. "Come meet Bianca, our newest recruit."

"Hello, nice to meet you." She smiled briefly, but instantly went back to business. I couldn't blame her. After all, being in the CIA as a woman would be rather difficult, even without the added stress of stopping a megalomaniac intending to end the world. "I really do need to speak with you, Charles."

"Yes, of course," he said, guiding her toward the door. The rest of the "team", excluding Lehnsherr and me, soon fell back to talking among themselves, along with shooting anxious looks our way. Though I wasn't sure which one of us they were aimed at.

"I think I'll unpack a bit," I murmured, ruthlessly squashing the tiny uncomfortable feeling of being out of place.

"Mind if I join you?" Lehnsherr asked. "They can be… a bit much, at times."

So we went back to my room and spent the next half hour talking, mostly about our powers, as I unpacked my suitcases. I took probably more amusement than necessary when it came to my undergarments. Shaking out each slip, bra, or panty before refolding and placing them in the drawers, I watched Lehnsherr's reaction out of the corner of my eye. He watched my actions intently at first, until he caught on. Then, he smirked. "I must say, I think I enjoyed the slip you wore last night better. Black is more your color."

I heard the admiration, with more than a hint of suggestion, in his voice and started to respond. But a knock at the door stopped our flirtation short. "Moira has-" Xavier said, barging in without waiting for my answer to his knock. He stopped short, however, and turned back around when he saw what was in my hand. "I am terribly sorry," he continued, back to me. "I should have waited. I did knock, but I should have waited for your answer."

"It's just a slip," I said wryly. "I'm sure you've seen a few of them before."

"Possibly more than one in a night," Lehnsherr added with a grin.

"Well, yes," Xavier said, starting to turn around. But he saw my slip again and faced the door once more. "But it's, it's a- It's a bit different."

"When you haven't seduced me first?" I supplied helpfully.

Lehnsherr chortled as Xavier floundered. "Moira has something for us. We're to meet her now."

Lehnsherr sobered instantly, ready for battle. "What are we waiting for?" he asked, heading to the door.

"You, too, Bianca. If it's what I think it is, we'll need you," Xavier told me.

Agent MacTaggert met us in a nearby hallway. "Plane leaves for Russia in an hour," she said, heading toward the rec room.

Lehnsherr argued, "I'm telling you, these kids are not ready for Shaw." I nodded in agreement, thinking of the teens I'd met. There was no way I would be comfortable sending them into a situation like this one would probably turn into.

"I think they'll surprise you," Xavier shot back, faith-filled hope coloring his words. "They're an exceptional bunch of young people."

But even before his words left the air, we could hear the sounds of a party. "What the hell?" MacTaggert asked incredulously.

The place was a mess, to put it lightly. The statue in the courtyard was now in two pieces, smoking slightly. The large picture window was shattered, with little glass shards littering the ground. Music was blasting, and Raven, Charles's sister, danced on a couch, with Angel dancing in the air next to her. Hank hung from the chandelier, while the two youngest boys took turns beating Darwin with the remnants of what appeared to be a chair. And beer bottles littered the tables.

"What are you doing?" MacTaggert yelled.

All six of them instantly turned to her, stopping their actions guiltily. "Who destroyed the statue?" she demanded angrily. I couldn't help but think that she sounded a bit like the mother of small children.

"It was Alex." Hank seemed a bit eager to not be in trouble, but by the looks of betrayal the others gave him, he would be in a different kind soon enough.

"No, Havok," Raven said, looking a bit too eager to be sober. At least given the circumstances. "We have to call him Havok, that's his name now. And we were thinking, you should be Professor X," she added pointing to her brother. Somehow, she was oblivious to his dismay. "And you should be Magneto." Another point, this time to a very unimpressed Lehnsherr.

"Exceptional," he said, before walking away. MacTaggert and I followed, heading toward the plane.

Xavier followed, as well, but not without a parting shot at his sister. "I expected more of you."

 **AN: And we have another chapter! It's been forever, I know, but lately it's been like pulling teeth to write. I won't abandon this story, though, I promise! Thanks for reading, following, and favoriting, and a big thanks to syed, CrystalVixen93, brigid1318, and A.D. Tellen for your reviews. And brigid, I know Bianca sorta came across as a wino, but she's not, I swear! She's just Italian :D And I did change the year in the last chapter when Bianca's family meets Schmidt to make her a bit older. I'm not entirely certain that it fits with actual history, but this is fanfiction. It'll be okay.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The flight to Russia was horrendous. It was long, and cramped, and full of men who clearly didn't care for personal hygiene, instead caring far too much for their various weapons. And Xavier was of no help, discussing plans with Agent MacTaggert, hanging on her every word like it came from the lips of an angel. "Yes, his feelings are most definitely engaged elsewhere," Lehnsherr murmured in my ear.

I caught his quick smirk and returned one of my own. "I'm rarely wrong about things like that."

"Rarely?" His eyebrow cocked in challenge once more.

"Well, I haven't been wrong yet, but I shouldn't say never, just so I don't ever have to eat my words later. But I've always been able to read people."

"And what have you read from me?" His tone turned warmer, very nearly seductive. It was rather enticing.

I pretended to think for a moment before leaning closer. "I read enough to know that I very much liked where our earlier conversation was heading, at least before Xavier interrupted us."

"I did, as well," was his low reply. "And I think I would like to take it up again, once we get back." The seductive promise filling his words and darkening his eyes heated my blood just a touch.

"It's too bad Russia got in the way," I quipped, lightening the mood between us. After all, I could hardly jump the man in front of so many people. A lady has standards.

Lehnsherr grinned, seeming to know exactly why I had done it. "Next time, Russia won't get in the way," he whispered in my ear. And this time, I couldn't help the shudder that ran down my spine.

But two could play at this game. "I certainly hope not," I whispered back, biting my lip lightly. When his gaze dropped to said lips, I slid my hand onto his thigh, not too high, but just high enough to be suggestive. "Because I can already imagine the things you can do, and believe me, I have a very vivid imagination," I added, tracing the shell of his ear with my lips as I spoke.

Once I pulled back to sit more fully in my seat, I was rather gratified to see his eyes darkened and a vaguely dazed look on his face. It was quickly replaced by a calculating one, however. "Are you using your powers on me?"

I was a bit stunned, and quite angry. "If by my powers, you mean the fact that I am a confident woman fully aware of my own beauty, than yes. But if you meant my mutation, then no. I've never needed to use it to get a man in my bed." And before he could respond, I got up to join Xavier and MacTaggert in planning for our mission.

I studiously avoided Lehnsherr for the rest of the flight and the ridiculously long truck ride following. That was only broken by a few exciting minutes where we might have been caught, had Xavier not used his handy telepathy to convince the Russian soldiers the truck bed was empty. "Maybe I do like telepaths, after all," I grinned at him.

Xavier preened a bit, and I pretended to not notice Lehnsherr scowling. His apparent jealousy soothed my ruffled feathers just the slightest bit, though I still wasn't inclined to forgive him for his insinuation.

Our target was the house of a high ranking Soviet official. We were barely in place when a helicopter landed on the front lawn. As we waited for Shaw to climb down, the intense rage boiling through me scared me a little. But it was all for not when a white, glittering form stepped down from the helicopter, one that was most definitely not my father.

"It's Frost," I hissed in anger and disgust.

"But where's Shaw?" Lehnsherr demanded next to me.

On the other side of him, Xavier shook his head. "I don't know. But if she's a telepath and I read her, she'll know we're here. Let me try something else," he said, fingers at his temple. He concentrated for a moment, before shaking his head again. "He's not coming. So what now, boss?" he asked MacTaggert.

She hesitated for a moment. "Now nothing," she finally said. "We're here for Shaw. Mission aborted."

"The hell it is," Lehnsherr growled.

"Frost is Shaw's right-hand woman," I argued, angry that we apparently came all this way for nothing. "She can lead us to him."

"The CIA invading the home of a senior Soviet official? Are you crazy?" MacTaggert hissed.

Lehnsherr smirked. "I'm not CIA," he said, running toward the house before the words even left his mouth.

"I'm not, either," I grinned, following after him.

Lehnsherr made it rather easy for us to enter the house, effectively getting any guard out of our way. Xavier caught up to us as we searched the house for Frost and the general. "They're this way," he said, fingers once again at his temple.

He led the way to what seemed likely to be a bedroom, and the two men threw the doors open. We saw the general on the bed, fondling the air, and Frost sitting in her underwear on the nearby couch. It was a bit off-putting, but our sudden entrance had the same effect on Frost, fortunately. Then, the general saw us, then her, and began angrily yelling in Russian while trying to draw his sidearm. "Go to sleep," Xavier told him, and the man listened, falling back to his bed.

Frost stood up, turning into her diamond form as she did so. Xavier's fingers flew to his head. "You can stop trying to read my mind, sugar," she told him. "You're never going to get anything from me when I'm like this."

And that's when I decided to make my presence known. "Hello, Emma," I said, poisoned honey dripping from my tongue.

The woman's eyes widened, and if she had been her normal flesh and blood self, I was fairly confident that she would have paled. She looked between the three of us, then did an incredibly foolish thing. She tried to run, straight between the two men. They caught her and pushed her back against the footboard of the bed, where Lehnsherr used his power to wrap the metal around her. "Then you can just tell us. Where's Shaw?" he demanded.

Frost refused to answer, simply struggled to free herself. "Emma," I tutted, like she was a naughty child. "When you're like this, it's so much easier for me to hurt you," I reminded with a grin.

Her eyes darted everywhere, looking for an escape, but there was none for her. I stepped closer, touching her arm. "You could make things a bit easier on yourself. Just tell us where dear old papa is," I said, running my fingers over her arm, leaching a tiny bit of her own power as I did so.

"Bianca," Xavier said worriedly.

"She just has to tell us, and then I'll stop," I replied reasonably.

"Bianca, that's enough," he repeated.

Lehnsherr, however, seemed to agree with me, as he wrapped the metal around her throat more tightly. Tightly enough to crack her diamond skin. "Erik, Bianca, that's enough, both of you!" Xavier shouted.

Just as her diamond form cracked at her throat, Frost changed back to flesh, slumping in defeat. "She's all yours," I purred in triumph.

"She won't be shifting into diamond form again," Erik added, pouring himself a cup of tea from the general's table. "And if she does, just give her a gentle tap."

"Or I could always put her in a coma again," I sweetly suggested.

Charles shook his head wearily, then focused on the woman in front of him. I ate a biscuit while waiting, watching the two of them. I wasn't terribly excited when Frost smirked. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"It's worse than we previously thought," Charles told us, looking more worried than I'd seen him so far. "We're taking you with us. I'm sure the CIA will want to question you themselves."

"Oh, I doubt it," Emma said, feigning a pout. "They have bigger things to worry about."

Comprehension dawned on all three of us at the same time. "Quantico," I breathed.

"The children," Erik added.

"Raven." Charles's face lost all color. "We've got to get back there."

"And you're coming along," I told Frost, before I punched her in the face.

Erik used his power to levitate the now unconscious Frost in front of us as we left the way we came. And if he occasionally allowed her to bump into things, I wasn't going to say anything.

MacTaggert was anxiously waiting for us at our previous location. "We've got to get back to Quantico, immediately," Charles told her desperately.

"Levene's already gone back to the plane. He took the truck. I don't know how we'll get back there," she said panicking.

"There's a perfectly good helicopter right over there," I pointed out.

Erik was already moving, having thought the same thing. He reached toward the helicopter, and, after a brief, tense moment, it shot toward us, landing neatly five feet in front of us. "Can any of you fly it?" he asked congenially.

It turned out that MacTaggart was full of surprises. She piloted us to the plane, getting us there before Levene and his men even. And she motivated the pilot to have the engines on, ready to take off the moment the last man was aboard.

Worry can rob you of sleep, but only for so long. After the adrenaline of our little fight with Frost wore off, I found myself blinking often, and slowly. "Go to sleep, Bianca," Charles said lowly. "You won't do anyone any good if you're exhausted."

I shifted in my seat, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Are you going to sleep?" I asked him.

He smiled humorlessly. "I'm going to try to contact Raven. I'm not sure how long my range is, but it's further when it's someone I'm familiar with. And I have to know she's alright."

"Let me know when you find out," I told him. The faces of the people who I had just met twenty-four hours previously flashed through my mind. Raven's earnest bubbliness may have grated on me, and Sean may have leered at me, Alex, as well, and I didn't know any of them, not really, but that didn't matter. None of them deserved what Shaw was bound to put them through.

"I will," Charles told me, patting my hand gently. "Now, sleep. You'll need it."

I turned my hand over, threading my fingers through his to try to comfort him. I was a bit apprehensive, as I didn't know how it would be received, but after a short, surprised pause, he squeezed my fingers and kept his hand in mine.

Looking to my left, I saw Erik frowning at our joined hands. I smiled a bit wryly and slipped my arm through his and rested my head on his shoulder. He relaxed, as did I, surprising even myself. But I couldn't help but feel comfortable with the two men, more so than anyone before, excluding family. Apparently, storming the house of a Soviet general together made you friends. Who knew?

I had been sleeping for a while when Charles's hand twitched in mine, squeezing almost painfully. "What is it?" I asked sleepily, jerking upright.

Charles took a long moment to answer, leaving Erik and me anxiously waiting. "I've contacted Raven," he said finally, swallowing several times in rapid succession. "It's- Shaw attacked the facility last night with Riptide and Azazel. Nearly all the agents are dead, as is Darwin. And Angel- Angel left with Shaw."

Shock filled me, followed almost instantly with rage. How could he kill all those innocent people? What had they ever done to him? How was that going to make the world a better place, as he was forever claiming he wanted?

"It's all my fault," Charles said, almost too low to hear. "I did this. I brought you all together. If it weren't for me, all those people would still be alive."

"Charles, it's not your fault. This is Shaw, not you," MacTaggart assured quietly.

"And he will pay for what he's done," Erik promised grimly.

The rest of the flight, which was blessedly only another hour or so, saw Charles locked in his own head, refusing to speak to anyone. "We cannot let him go," I said softly, more to myself than anyone else.

"We won't," Erik assured, squeezing my hand to get my attention. Once he had it, he glanced to Charles to make sure he wasn't listening. "I will not let this monster live. When we catch up to him, we've got to kill him. There's no other option. Can you do that, to your own father?"

I nodded slowly. "With his connections and his power, there's no prison that could hold him. And he won't stop unless he is stopped. So, yes, I will do whatever it takes to end him."

Erik looked me in the eye, seemingly reading my soul. At long last, he sighed. "Charles won't like it."

"It's the only way to stop Shaw," I countered.

He nodded. "I know."

…

Four very traumatized young people greeted us when we arrived back at Quantico. Raven threw herself at Charles, and he wrapped his arms around her. After pressing a kiss to her hair, he said, "We've arranged for you all to be taken home."

That shocked the four of them, Raven enough that she jerked out of his arms. "What?"

"It's not safe for you any longer," he said, but Sean cut him off.

"We're not going home. And he's not going back to prison," he said, pointing to Alex somewhat hysterically.

"Darwin's dead," Alex added.

"All the more reason for you to leave," Charles said. "This is over."

"Darwin's dead, Charles." Raven sounded lost and confused. "He's dead, and we can't even bury him."

"But we can avenge him," Erik piped up.

Charles glared at him. "A word, please." The two stepped a few feet away and had a heated discussion. If the circumstances had been any different, I was sure that at least Raven and Sean would have tried to listen in. As it was, they simply stared at the ground listlessly, still in shock. Sean, in particular, looked a little boy who had just been told his dog had been killed. Damn my maternal instincts, I mentally sighed, before going over to him and wrapping my arms around him. He stiffened in surprise, but only for a moment. He then buried his face in my neck, wrapping his arms around me, as well, as he shook.

Charles and Erik came back, one looking a bit more triumphant, while the other was resigned. "We'll have to train," Charles announced. "All of us, yes?"

The children nodded, even though Sean did so still in my neck. "But we can't stay here," Hank pointed out. "Even if they reopen the department, it's not safe for us here. We've got nowhere to go."

Charles smiled for the first time in eighteen hours. "Yes, we do," he said, grinning at Raven.

She grinned back, latching onto his arm. "It's a perfect idea," she agreed.

"What is?" I asked, feeling a bit left out.

"I've got a house in New York," Charles explained. "It's plenty big enough for all of us, with enough space to train. It'll be perfect for us."

"Let's get going, then," MacTaggart said. "Go get your things, and I'll find us some transportation. We leave in half an hour."

Sean finally rousted himself from my arms at that, trudging back to the broken building. "I suppose I unpacked a bit too soon," I muttered, following him.

"Ah, but it was quite a show," Erik murmured in my ear. "Perhaps we could repeat it once we arrive in New York?"

"If you're lucky," I teased wearily. His answering chuckle sounded just as exhausted.

 **AN: I did not expect to bang this whole thing out in one go, but it happened, so here you lovelies go! We got to have a taste of Bianca in action, and I really loved having her punch Emma in the face, just so you know. Hopefully you all did as well. Thanks for reading, following, and favoriting, and a big thanks to syed, CrystalVixen93, and brigid1318 for your lovely reviews. And on that note, I hope you guys all like the interactions between Bianca and Erik. They are tons of fun to write!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Walking out to the front with my repacked suitcases, I had to dodge a few mattresses floating outside. "If we have to pile in the back of that thing, we're at least going to be marginally comfortable," Erik told the protesting Charles. "And it's not like anyone will be needing them any time soon."

Once I saw our proposed transportation, I instantly agreed with Erik. If we were going to spend all day in that horrible truck, we were going to have those mattresses. Especially since I figured that Charles would be in the front with MacTaggert, who was driving, and therefore much more comfortable than the rest of us in the back. In the end, after the combined stubborn efforts of Erik and me, he caved. "I'm going to get us some food for the road," he muttered, grabbing his sister for her help. Ten minutes later, they reappeared, several bags of food hanging from their arms.

"And how is that any different than taking mattresses?" I asked Erik lowly. He simply grinned and handed me into the back of the truck.

All of the luggage had been pushed to the very front of the bed, while the rest was filled with pilfered mattresses and pillows. The three boys climbed in after me, then finally Erik. He settled in next to me along one side, with the boys facing us. They didn't seem to know how to react to either of us, seemingly slightly afraid of Erik and intimidated by me. Sean, in particular, avoided looking anywhere in my direction, even though he was directly across from me. Clearly, he was embarrassed by his earlier actions. And all three looked as tightly strung as my Zio Giorgio's violin. Alex even vibrated slightly with nervous, pent up energy.

This went on for half an hour or so, with hardly a word spoken in all that time. I finally grew tired of it and so started to hum. It was a bit tuneless at first, just to get them used to the sound, and then, as I started into Seta Moneta, my favorite lullaby as a child, I slowly pushed more of my power into the music. It was a bit gratifying to see each of them slowly relaxing, even Erik next to me.

As I continued to hum, the boys relaxed more and more. Around the third time through the song, Sean finally succumbed, head dropping to his chest. Alex was next, slumping to sleep on Hank's shoulder. Hank was asleep before his head rested on Alex's. Beside me, Erik laughed softly. "You've got a usefull skill."

Grinning, I replied, "It's come in handy a few times. And I'm sure they didn't sleep at all last night. They needed it."

A few moments of silence later saw Erik digging through his small bag next to him. "Ha!" He pulled something small out with a triumphant glee. "Do you play?" he asked, revealing that something small to be a deck of cards. A rather familiar deck of cards.

"You got that from the White Siren," I said knowingly. "And of course, I play."

He began to shuffle expertly. "It's a used deck," he defended. "One never knows when one might be stuck in the back of a truck for hours with a beautiful woman, and it never hurts to be prepared."

"Never," I agreed with a smile. "So what are we playing for?"

"We could always play strip," Erik suggested, innocent tone belying the suggestive gleam in his eyes.

I snorted. "Not with those three over there. They could wake up at any moment."

"I'm sure you've got plenty of hair pins, jewelry, things like that," he said, and I could feel a tugging as he used his powers to test that theory. "We could count that as an item."

I studied him for a moment, taking in his calmly assured air. He must have forgotten that I grew up in a casino, I thought to myself. "Alright, I'll bite."

When MacTaggert finally stopped at a rest stop, Charles came to check on us in the back. His face when he saw Erik in nothing but his boxer shorts, undershirt, and one sock was priceless. "We've just been having ourselves a little game," I said, wiggling my hand a bit in explanation. "Erik's jacket is rather cozy," I added, pulling said garment closer. And I may have inhaled a bit of Erik's scent in the process.

"Erik, Bianca grew up in Atlantic City," Charles reminded, concerned. "Her family owns a casino."

"So I remembered," he grumbled. He also glared at the few hair pins sitting innocently in the pot. After all, I had to lose the first few games to get an idea of how he played.

"The probability of which cards she has in her hand is pretty easy to figure out," Hank said, alerting us to the fact that he was now awake.

Erik glared at him, though I wasn't sure if it was because of Hank's observation or the fact that he was feeling more self-conscious now that Hank was awake. "You could always join and prove it," he said grumpily.

"Yes, Hank, you could join," I said happily. "But we won't play strip anymore," I added, much to Hank's obvious relief.

The other boys woke, due to our talking, and they all decided to join, as well. I gave Erik back his clothes, though I kept his jacket. "I won this fair and square," I murmured in his ear, "and you'll have to strip it off me to get it back."

If we hadn't been with four other people at the time, I was quite certain he would have attempted to do so. As it was, seeing his eyes darken and Adam's apple bob several times in rapid succession was rewarding on its own.

By the time we got back on the road, Raven had decided to join us, so the six of us sat in a circle to play. It was entertaining to see how each played and how that reflected on them as people. Sean was a crap player, to be honest. He was always so transparent that everyone, including Hank, knew if his hand was good or bad.

Alex played carefully, most of the time. But every now and then, he would make incredibly risky plays, ones that paid off only about half the time.

Raven tried to play shrewdly, but I could tell she usually played against Charles, who seemed to coddle his sister in everything. She seemed rather surprised when she lost at first, and she even got a bit upset. It would have been amusing, had it not been for the fact that she was twenty-one.

Hank's analytical mind helped him, just as he predicted, but he had a terrible poker face. Erik and I quickly learned how to work that to our advantages. And when Raven declared that to be unfair, I simply shrugged. "Life's unfair," I told her, dealing the next hand. I could practically feel the amusement floating off Erik with my answer.

We somehow managed to while away the hours left on the drive, but I was more than happy to exit the truck when we finally made it to Charles's house. The house was rather impressive, looking more like it would have fit into the English countryside than that of New York, a massive castle surrounded by trees. "At least we'll have our privacy," I said approvingly.

"This is yours?" Sean asked, incredulity stumbling from his lips.

Charles's answer came immediately, like he didn't even have to think about it. "No, it's ours."

Erik seemed a bit mockingly skeptical. "Honestly, Charles, I don't know how you survived living in such hardship."

"Well, it was a hardship softened by me," Raven beamed, slipping her arm through Charles's once again. "Tour, anyone?"

A grand tour was given, with bedrooms selected as we went. I chose one away from the younger people, needing my space just a bit. In fact, I was the only one in the whole wing on that floor, with the exception of Erik a few doors down. "Since I brought your luggage up, does that mean I get a repeat of that show?" he asked, smirk firmly affixed as he let my suitcases float to the floor.

"I think it would have been more impressive if you had brought them up by hand," I countered, pulling one onto the bed to begin unpacking. I didn't suggest he leave, however.

I was folding my last slip when a knock sounded at the door. "Bianca, dinner is-" Hank had opened my door and peeked in, though the sight of my slip had apparently shorted out his brain. He stared at me, or rather my slip, for a long moment, before he tried to avert his attention, like a gentleman. Instead, he caught sight of my bed, which was covered with Erik lounging at ease whilst surrounded by various other articles of clothing. Several of which were brassieres. Hank turned even redder. "Have you never seen a slip before, Hank?" I asked, putting it in the drawer. "I'm sure Raven has some she could show you."

"I- uh- mah-" Hank left without making any further attempts at speech. It was rather amusing.

"Poor boy, he's far too sheltered," I sighed.

"And you have far too much fun tormenting him," Erik grinned at me.

"Well, he did turn a delightful shade of red," I replied. "I wonder just how red he can get?"

After dinner, I excused myself. I headed to my room and barely changed into a nightgown before collapsing on the bed and sleeping like the dead. After all, it had been more than three days since I'd last slept in a bed, though it seemed a bit more like a lifetime since leaving Atlantic City.

Because I'd gone to sleep so early, I also woke early. A run sounded like a good idea, partially to get some exercise, and partially to get the lay of the land. I never liked being in one place for very long without knowing easy exits, something I'd picked up from my stay with my father. I got dressed and put my hair up before heading out.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one to have the idea for a run. Hank was already out, running around the house in the early gray light. I stretched, taking long enough that he lapped the house in the meantime, then I began to run. I started far enough ahead that he could have continued running by himself, but I looked over my shoulder with a little shrug, hoping he understood that he could join me if he wanted. After a moment, Hank's footsteps got louder, closer, until he was running directly beside me.

We lapped the house once in silence, giving me a good idea of the entrances, and thereby the exits. Then, as we passed the front door, I tossed a questioning look at Hank, followed by a head nod at the path that headed toward the trees nearby. He answered silently, veering off without a hitch in his step. We followed the path as it meandered across the grounds, finally ending in the back gardens. By unspoken agreement, we both slowed as we hit the gardens, breathing a bit heavily. All in all, we probably ran around three miles, not bad for a day's run, I thought.

Stretching once more, I looked over at Hank, who was doing the same. "I'm sorry for embarrassing you last night," I told him, surprising both of us, really. I wasn't used to apologizing, but I had realized, after seeing his stiff interactions with Erik at dinner, that I may have gone too far. And Hank hadn't done anything to deserve it.

"It's nothing," he said, blushing again as he tried to brush it off.

"Not true," I rebutted. "I shouldn't have embarrassed you, and I'm sorry. Just for clarification, I'm sorry I said it in front of Erik, not that I said it. You're not comfortable with Erik, and I get that now, so I'm sorry."

Hank laughed a bit, seeming slightly more at ease with me. "So you're not sorry you said it, but for who you said it in front of?"

I nodded once. "Exactly. And just for future reference, I will continue to tease you, but I won't do it in front of Erik. Or Raven. And I'll try to restrain myself in front of Alex and Sean, as well. But I'll still tease you."

He laughed again, a more full-bellied one this time. "I'd appreciate that," he said.

"Breakfast is on," Charles's voice came into my mind, causing me to slam my mental defenses shut without a thought.

"Bianca, are you alright?" Hank asked, sounding terribly anxious at my sudden distress.

I shook myself out of my mental fortifications. "Yes, I'm fine. I really don't like other people in my head, and Charles keeps forgetting that," I explained. "Let's get some breakfast."

Hank kept sending me worried glances all the way to the kitchen where the others were congregating. "Sorry for the mental invasion," Charles whispered in my ear as I passed him to collect a plate.

"You're forgiven, this time," I said pointedly.

"Would it help if I gave you some sort of warning?" he asked earnestly, still in a whisper. "I'm quite used to communicating that way, and it's terribly useful, especially in a place this large."

I considered his words as I selected two pancakes. "If you can find a way to give me warning, then I will allow it," I finally conceded. "Otherwise, I will keep you locked out at all times."

A smile bloomed across his face. "Brilliant! I will work on that. In the meantime, would you mind helping me train Alex? He doesn't quite have control over his powers just yet."

"Alex, you blow things up, correct?" I asked the boy across the room.

The boy in question looked at me in a remarkable impression of a startled animal. "Uh, yeah, I guess so," he finally answered lamely.

"I suppose I am the person to help you with this, then," I replied. Taking my plate to the table, I sat down next to him. "Since you won't hurt me."

He laughed, sounding a mix of nervous and incredulous. Mostly incredulous. "Um, yeah, I doubt that."

"Did you happen to use your powers on Shaw when he attacked the base? And then he turned it against you?"

My sudden question threw him. "Yes?" His answer sounded more like a question.

"What does Shaw have to do with anything?" Sean asked from Alex's other side.

I looked around the table and noticed that everyone was looking at me intently. Only Charles and Erik seemed to know where I was going with this. "I have the same powers as Shaw, since he's my father."

A protracted silence was finally broken with Raven's shriek. "He's your father?!"

"He is the man who impregnated my mother when she was younger than Sean, so yes, by most definitions, he is my father," I answered rather coldly. "But he's not been a part of my life for most of it, and I don't intend to start that association any time soon. Has anyone got a problem with that?"

Another silence met my question as the children looked a bit ashamed. I noticed that MacTaggart was simply watching me, calculating. I wasn't sure what conclusions she would come to, but I didn't particularly care. I wasn't part of the group to make friends.

"We will need Bianca in the fight against Shaw," Charles said quietly. "And she's not like him."

"She's willing to do what needs to be done to take him out. Are you?" Erik added. No one answered. The rest of breakfast was rather quiet, and not much eye contact was made.

 **AN: Ugh, I'm terrible at updating! I'm so sorry, you guys! I've just had a terrible case of writer's block combined with a very lazy streak, but I'm trying to get passed that. I still love Bianca and have a lot of fun writing her, I just have to get past that terrible not wanting to write feeling. With that said, thanks for reading, especially all who've waited over a month for me to update. Big hugs to those who favorited and followed, and bear hugs to brigid1318 and CrystalVixen93 for their reviews! Reviews make for a happy writer!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Alex followed me and Charles, somewhat reluctantly, to a bunker behind the house. "Are you sure this will, I don't know, not blow up?" he asked Charles, looking around skeptically.

"Absolutely," Charles assured with a huge smile. "My stepfather was rather concerned about the possibility of nuclear war, so you'll be fine. And I'm leaving you in good hands. Bianca will be able to help you."

Alex still wasn't convinced. "But when I- Bad things tend to happen when I do this."

"That's because you're allowing it to control you, instead of the other way around." I decided it was time to join the conversation. "You're keeping it bottled up so tightly, afraid of what happens when you let it out, that it's building up inside of you. And every now and then, it escapes, to terrible results. Am I right?"

Angry defiance covered most of the vulnerability in his face. "How do you know that?" he spat. "You don't know anything about me, so how could you possibly know that?"

I smirked. "Because that's exactly what happened to me, only I was younger than you, and quite probably far more powerful. So why don't you stop being so defensive and listen to me, capisce?"

Alex didn't like my answer, but he listened, anyway. And he didn't even notice when Charles left.

The first thing I did was drain some of his power, so he wouldn't have to fight so hard to keep it under control. "How do you feel?" I asked him, ignoring the slight buzz I felt under my skin that came along with additional power.

He inspected himself a bit, the wonder coming off him nearly a tangible thing. "I feel better," he said in awe. "Lighter, you know?"

"It's not feeling so much like a shaken soda pop?" I quipped, earning a smile.

"Exactly. How did you do that- Never mind, you're like Shaw." And there went the smile.

"Hopefully, that's the only way I'm like him. Now, let's get to work."

To start, I had Alex try to aim at me, knowing that I would be able to absorb anything he shot my way. After a far more powerful blast than either of us were expecting, I took some more energy from him, then we tried again. This time, he was able to aim, sort of. But with each try, he got a little better.

"You are improving," I told him after several hours, when Charles called us for lunch. "It may not seem like it now, but you are. You're not so erratic, and you can sustain it for longer. I think you'll be able to practice by yourself this afternoon." My skin felt like tiny insects were crawling underneath it from all the power I'd absorbed from his misses, and there was no way I was willing to do more.

Alex's face fell. "What? You're not going to help me more? But I can't do it by myself." He sounded distinctly panicked.

"Alex, listen to me," I ordered sternly. "There is nothing down here you can hurt. Including you. And there's a fire extinguisher right outside. I'm sure we can talk with Charles and find some sort of target for you to aim for, but you're a big boy. You can do this on your own. Capisce?"

He nodded slowly, unhappily. "I'm not going to coddle you. You want that, go to Charles," I continued. "But I'm the only one here who you can't hurt, besides yourself. So, if you want my help, you'll have to get used to it."

Alex nodded again, this time more resolutely. We walked back into the house, discussing tactics and how he could, hypothetically, use his powers to his advantage in a fight. "Just remember, you don't want to depend solely on them," I added just as we joined the others. "There are ways of limiting other's powers, and they can be used against you, so make sure that you can still defend yourself."

"Will you show me?" the boy asked me earnestly, apparently over his dislike of me via my father, at least for the moment.

I smiled a bit, feeling a little proud of him. "Yes, just give me a few hours. You practice with your powers for a while, then we'll work on it."

"Can I join in?" Hank asked quietly, but still earnest.

"Absolutely," I agreed. "Let's meet in the front gardens at two."

Charles watched the three of us with readily apparent delight. "That's a splendid idea! We should all join in. That is, if you don't mind, Bianca?"

I looked over the room, noticing that everyone was watching. Out of the eight of us, Erik was the only one that I figured could more than hold their own in a fight, besides me, though I had a sneaking suspicion that MacTaggart had more tricks up her sleeves than she let on. And Charles could probably use his telepathy against any attacker. But if we were to meet Shaw soon, I knew we would need to work on more than just our abilities. "Alright," I said slowly. "We can all work together."

"Brilliant!" Charles beamed at me. "Then we'll all meet in the front gardens at two. In the meantime, Hank, would you mind working with me after lunch? I've got something I want to try with you."

The rest of the meal was rather quiet, just like breakfast, but at least this time, the only person still treating me with skepticism was Raven. I'd won Alex over with our morning together, and Sean seemed content to follow his lead. And MacTaggart was being a good little spook and keeping her thoughts and feelings to herself. But I simply stayed quiet and picked at my food, trying to force the crawling feeling of my skin to the back of my mind.

The table cleared slowly, with Alex clearly trying to delay his return to practice. A sternly raised eyebrow from me sent him back to the bunker with a sigh, however, with Sean trailing behind him, telling him all about his morning with Charles. Raven left the table with a haughty sniff after MacTaggart said she had some phone calls to make. Hank and Charles left to work on Hank's ability. And that left me alone with Erik again, cleaning up after the meal.

"I need your help," I told him, once I was sure the others were out of earshot.

He quirked an eyebrow and smirked. "Pray tell how I may be of assistance." His words held more than a hint of suggestion.

I smiled back. "I drained rather a lot of Alex's power so he could hopefully learn to control it. Unfortunately, now I've got far too much excess energy that I need to burn," I said, rinsing off some dishes at the sink.

Suddenly, Erik's arms were around me, caging me in against the sink. "All you had to do was ask," he said, teasingly husky and low. He traced the shell of my ear with his nose, breath hot on my neck.

Despite the shiver that ran down my spine, I laughed. "Not really what I had in mind," I told him, turning in his arms to face him. But I still put my arms around his shoulders, pulling myself closer to him as he continued to nuzzle my neck.

"And just what did you have in mind, meine Schönheit?" he asked, lips brushing my skin with every syllable.

Teasingly, I dragged my nails up his neck and through his hair, tugging sharply on the length. Once he brought his head up to meet my eyes, I smirked. "I was thinking more along the lines of sparring, bello."

"But we were having so much fun," he teased. And then, with the same speed he'd embraced me, he was gone, halfway across the room. "But if that's what you want, that's what we'll do. Come along. There's bound to be somewhere in this mansion we could use to spar."

We found a room with incredibly plush carpet and not too much furniture to move out of the way. Once the room was situated, with all the couch and chairs all along one wall, I faced Erik, who was grinning at me. "Are we allowed to use our powers in this?" he asked me cockily.

"If you feel like you need the advantage," I replied, then ran straight toward him.

My nonno had made sure I could more than take care of myself at a young age, finding me tutors in several martial arts. As a result, I knew how to use Erik's much larger stature to my advantage. But he was a rather skilled opponent, probably the best I'd had since leaving Azazel in Las Vegas.

For more than an hour, we sparred, throwing punches and dodging kicks. The more we fought, the more I learned about his style, but the same was true for Erik. And while most of me was concentrating on our current fight, a little corner of my brain was cataloging his movements for future reference. After all, we only had a short time to all learn how to work together, and he and I had the best skills of the bunch.

Erik caught my knee with his foot at the back end of a spin, taking me down at last. But I couldn't go down without him. Instead, I latched onto his leg, pulling him with me. As we collapsed in a heap, I laughed long and hard. When he looked at me, exertion mingling with incredulity, it made me laugh even harder. "I haven't had that good of a workout in ages," I finally managed to gasp.

He then grinned understandingly from across my legs. "All you had to do was ask." The leer he gave was a bit belied by all the panting he was doing.

"What are you two doing?" Raven's voice came from the doorway and sounded rather suspicious.

"We were making love," I replied sweetly. "Would you like to join?"

Her disgusted face made me laugh. "We were sparring, Raven," Erik told her, moving to his feet. I then took the hand he extended to me to pull me up. "Practice fighting," he clarified at her now confused expression.

"As the only other member of our merry band of fighters that has any actual experience fighting, I thought it would be good to get an idea of his skills," I added. "Now, are you ready to learn a few moves of your own? It's time we went to meet the others."

Sean and Alex were waiting for us in the garden, while Charles and Hank seemed to be racing around the grounds. Well, not really racing, for that would imply that Charles might actually be capable of winning. As it was, Hank was speeding around the grounds at an incredible speed, one I hadn't realized he'd been capable of, even with our run that morning.

"Robert Louis Stevenson would be proud," Charles panted laughingly as the two came to stop in front of us. He looked winded, while Hank looked as though he had done nothing more than a Sunday stroll in the park.

Alex looked at them in amazement. "With feet like those, all you need is a red nose, right, Bozo?"

Hank's face immediately dropped. "I'm done here," he said softly, before walking away. His shuttered hurt pricked at my heart, telling me he'd probably been bullied throughout his life for being different.

"Thank you, Alex," Charles muttered, before going after the lanky scientist. It took quite a while, but he did convince Hank to return to our group session.

It wasn't long before Erik and I discovered that we needed to start at the very beginning. Hank, surprisingly enough, was one of merely two of our students who even knew how to throw a punch without hurting themselves more than their opponent. "I was twelve when I graduated high school from a small hick town," he said sheepishly. "I had to learn how to defend myself, at least a little."

Sean almost broke his thumb with his first punch, though Alex quickly corrected his form. "You've got to take power from your body, not just your arm," he told his younger friend, after he'd adjusted Sean's fist. "That'll put more strength into your swing."

Raven put on a princess act, saying that she had no idea how to hit someone else. She then affected a terrible punch, causing Erik to go correct it. He had to babysit her for the rest of the time.

Charles turned out to be the worst student of all. "I'm not sure I need to learn how to punch," he said, squirming a bit under my gaze. "After all, I can always make them stop fighting me."

"What happens if you can't get into their heads? They might have mental walls, like me. And if I know Shaw, and sadly, I do, he's already working on some way to keep you out. You can't always depend on your powers to keep you safe. You need to learn how to fight without them," I told him, feeling rather exasperated. Especially since he'd been the one to suggest everyone learn.

"I'll teach him," MacTaggart supplied, popping out of nowhere. "Come on, Charles. Hit me with your best shot."

I left him in her capable hands with a smile, turning back to the boys. Who were a bit entertaining to watch. Hank and Alex were both trying to teach Sean, though both had different ways of fighting, and as such, confused the poor boy. "Hank, why don't you teach Sean?" I suggested. "Alex, come show me what you've got."

To my vast appreciation, Alex didn't doubt me or my abilities this time. He simply walked with me a bit away from the others, giving us more room to move. At my nodded signal, he threw a punch, which I easily blocked. And then he stopped. "No, come on," I ordered. "Keep going. Nobody's going to stop after just one punch, not in real life."

He warily threw another punch, then another, and soon enough, we were sparring well. Or rather, he was. I was merely blocking his punches. For the first five minutes or so. But once I felt he'd had enough of a warm up, I changed it up.

As Alex threw his next punch, I ducked down, feeling the rush of air as his arm sailed over my head. I popped back up, far closer than I had been, throwing him off. He faltered. "Don't stop now," I cried, throwing a punch of my own.

He quickly got over his surprise, though it took him a minute to regain his footing. He dodged well, blocking or jumping out of the way of most of my hits. I was fairly predictable, two left jabs followed by a strong right hook. I allowed him to get comfortable with it, before spinning quickly, ending up behind him and kicking his knee out from beneath him. "Never get too comfortable in a fight," I told him from my new position above him. "You can't always assume that they're going to do the same thing every time."

"I'll keep that in mind," he panted.

"And Alex?" I said quietly, towering over his position on the ground. "If I ever see you bullying someone else again, you'll won't have any more power to lose control of, capisce?"

Eyes wide, he nodded slowly, then warily took the hand I offered. I helped him up and brushed the grass off his back. "You're a good kid, Alex. And someday, you can be a good man. But not if you look down on others you think are different from you. If you think that, you're no different from Shaw." I left him there with his thoughts, jaw slightly open in shock, as I went to work with Hank and Sean.

 **AN: So NaNoWriMo took a lot out of me, which is why it's taken me so long to post this chapter, even though it's been written for over a month now. Sorry about that, and I will try not to make you wait that long again. I hope you liked their first training. Thanks to syed for your suggestion to have Bianca train Alex, because sadly I hadn't even thought about that, and it's a wonderful idea! Thanks for reading, especially for those who've followed/favorited, and a big thanks to brigid1318, Scarlett. , CrystalVixen93, and Amirachan88 for your reviews! Reviews make me happy!**

 **And for those of you who don't speak German or Italian, Erik calls Bianca my beauty, and she calls him handsome. At least that's what Google tells me, anyway!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

In my desire to be away from others, I wandered the house that evening. And when I found the music room, with beautiful, incredibly expensive instruments, I felt it was a shame that they seemed so unused. Sitting down at the piano and playing a few experimental notes, however, showed me that it was still in tune. I let my fingers run across the keyboard, picking out notes as they chose. I wasn't terribly surprised when I found myself playing Puccini, Nonno's favorite composer.

I poured my heart into the music, trying to not feel guilty in knowing that those who could hear it would be affected. There was no definable emotion I aimed for, so I hoped the effects wouldn't be too noticeable, but I needed a release. I still had so much of Alex's power crawling under my skin, and I'd barely touched my own during the day. It had to come out. Music was the safest way I knew how to do that, though it would take a it of playing to get rid of the excess I'd built up over the day.

"La Boehm?"

Charles's voice behind me didn't startle, as he'd given the mental equivalent of a knock first. "It's Italian, I'm surprised an English brat such as yourself would even recognize it," I teased, my hands never losing their place even as I looked up from the keyboard.

"Mother was terribly found of Italian operas," he smirked, coming to stand by me. "She insisted I have lessons, though I never enjoyed them much. I could probably still pick out an aria or two, though it wouldn't sound anywhere near as good as your playing."

I smirked. "I have music in my blood."

Charles listened as I played. It was nice to be in such comfortable companionship without either of us feeling a need to speak. But I could tell something was on his mind. "What's wrong, Charles?"

He let out a small laugh. "Sometimes, I almost wonder if you aren't a telepath, as well."

"And now you're avoiding the question."

He laughed again. "A little, sorry. But nothing's wrong, really. I was simply trying to figure out if you're using your power as you play, right now."

"If I'm creating music, I'm using my power," I explained, now moving on to Mozart. "That's simply the way it works. Though, at present, I'm not channeling any emotion, so I'm not making anyone feel a certain way. It does, however, cause the emotions one is feeling to be a bit heightened."

"And you say I can't be affected because my feelings are 'engaged elsewhere'?" he asked dubiously.

"They're your feelings, Charles. You tell me." I looked over at him with an eyebrow raised in amusement.

He looked a bit troubled. "I don't know. I mean, clearly Moira is an attractive woman, as well as incredibly intelligent. She certainly knows how to fight well, I've got the bruises to prove it. She's simply an amazing woman."

I shook my head teasingly at him. "And yet, you still don't know if you have feelings for her. It must be tough."

Charles blushed a bit. "Well, I suppose when you put it that way…" he trailed off in mild embarrassment, before rallying again. "But what about you and Erik?"

"He's attractive, I'll give you that, but really, Charles, I've only known him for a total of four days." I then sent him a rather lascivious grin. "Though, I can't say I would mind getting to know him a little better."

He ignored it, sadly. "I think you would be good for him. You'd be good for each other, really. Especially given the way you both seem to gravitate to one another."

I snorted. "We gravitate to one another because neither of us are blind optimists. We both know what it's going to take to bring Schmidt down, we both know the reality of what he can do, and we both are willing to put a stop to him. Even if you aren't."

Charles sighed, running a hand down his face. "I can't accept that murder is the only way to stop him, Bianca. Killing another person should never be an option."

"What if it's between killing him and allowing him to destroy the world?" I asked him, turning away from the keys to fully face him. "What if killing one person saves the world? Is his life more important than the other three billion people on this planet? Because that's his goal. Think about that for a while. And neither Erik nor I want you to be the one who kills him. Neither of us want to destroy you like that. But you have to decide if you could accept whichever one of us does kill him, because that is what is going to happen."

Leaving Charles alone in his thoughts, I walked out of the music room. My skin was still crawling, so I decided to go for another run. I stretched in the garden where we'd practiced earlier, then, just before I was ready to go, I saw Sean sitting on the grass, looking up at the stars. His heartbreak was evident, now that he thought no one could see it. Once again, he tugged on my mostly dormant maternal instincts, causing me to sigh and walk over to him. "Sean, I was planning on going for a run," I announced. "Why don't you come with me?"

He didn't seem overly excited by the prospect, but I somehow talked him into it. We ran five laps around the house, and he surprised me by keeping up the whole way. "I'm pretty used to running," he said with a sardonic twist of his lips.

"And just what have you been running from?" I aimed for casually curious, but somewhere deep inside, I knew I wouldn't like his answer.

Sean laughed darkly. "My mother has never been sober a day in my life. Some days she's more sober than others, but still, she's never completely sober. My dad, well, he likes to tell me all about how Mom used to smile all the time. She used to be the happiest person he ever knew. And then she had me. So, of course, he blames me. The first time he ever hit me, at least that I remember, I was four. And I forgot to put my plate in the sink, like I was supposed to. He just exploded. He broke the plate, threw it at me, really, and then he backhanded me so hard, I hit the wall. And Mom just sat there, staring at me the whole time."

It wasn't a conscious decision, but my arms went around him before the first tear fell from his eye. "It's not your fault, you know," I whispered, hugging him for all I was worth. "None of it. Your mother needed help, and she sought it at the bottom of a bottle. And your father sounds like a worthless piece of garbage. But none of it is your fault, Sean. You were a child. You did nothing wrong, do you understand me?"

He nodded against my shoulder, but I knew it would take more than just me saying it the one time to get through to him. I sighed, pushing down the desire to find his father and beat him to a bloody pulp. "You never have to go back there, you know? Even if Charles doesn't have something in mind for after we take care of Schm-Shaw, you can always come to Atlantic City. But you might have to change your last name. We can't have any Irish running around with the Italians, now can we?"

Sean laughed, just as I intended. He pulled back, rubbing at his eyes furiously. "You won't tell anyone else about this, will you?"

"Of course not," I assured. "Anything you want to tell me is strictly between the two of us." I'm finally getting some use out of that psychology degree, I added silently. "And anytime you want to talk, I'm available."

He nodded shortly. "Thank you, Bianca. That… That means a lot to me." He headed inside after one more impulsive hug, though I stayed outside for a while longer. I wanted to look at the stars, since I rarely was able to see them so clearly in the city.

"You'll have those boys following you around like little ducklings in no time."

I turned to see Erik leaning against the house close by. "I don't know what you mean," I said, feigning ignorance.

He smirked. "I saw the way Hank was watching you with those big, adoring eyes this morning at breakfast, and then Alex joined in at lunch. And now I see Sean hugging you, when you usually try to seem so standoffish. Like I said, ducklings."

I shrugged, a little embarrassed, and looked away. "I didn't want him to feel like he was worthless. No one deserves to feel that way, especially not such a young kid."

Erik was quiet for a long time. When I looked over at him again, he was watching me with a rather inscrutable look. "You really are nothing like him."

I instantly knew who he was referring to. "My father? I should hope not," I declared hotly.

He grinned briefly. "You aren't like him at all. He wants to tear down the world and rebuild it in his own image. He revels in pain, takes pleasure in harming others." His voice cracked a bit, reminding me of what little I knew he'd gone through. And breaking my heart for him in the process.

"And how do you see me?" I asked flippantly, trying to tease him out of the dark mood that had settled around him. But as much as I pretended not to care what his answer was, a part of me desperately wanted to know it.

"You… really are nothing like him. You wear strength, and ferocity, and intelligence, and passion like an armor, protecting your kindness and compassion from those who would use them to hurt you. I've never known anyone like you before." Awe warmed Erik's words this time, and I warmed with them.

"I'm also sarcastic, and blunt, and terribly impatient," I said, trying to deflect.

"Necessary flaws," he told me, coming to stand directly in front of me. "No one can be perfect. And I happen to quite like those traits."

Erik's hands cupped my shoulders, bringing me closer to him. Then, once we were chest to chest, his left hand slipped around my waist, while the other traced along my jaw, feather-soft. "It also doesn't hurt that you're one of the most beautiful women I've ever had the pleasure of knowing," he said, voice low and husky. I was beginning to love that particular pitch.

"You're not terribly unattractive," I replied, making him laugh.

"I'm glad you find me at least a little attractive," he grinned, "because hopefully, that means you'll allow me to kiss you."

I should have drawn it out, made him wonder for a few moments, but in all honesty, I'd wanted him to kiss me from the moment I saw him smirking up at me on stage at The White Siren. So, instead, I stretched up on my tiptoes to kiss him.

As our lips touched, something inside me lit up, making my power sing. Erik's hand tangled in my hair, leaving little tingles all along my scalp. I pulled him closer, reveling in the fact that our bodies seemed to fit together perfectly. And I could feel all those lithe muscles in his shoulders and arms straining, trying to get closer to me.

When he pulled back, I actually had to gasp for breath, a first in a very long time. "I'd say that was good, but I think I need another to be sure," I said, grinning deviously at him.

Erik took the bait, instantly sealing his lips over mine again. He tugged on my hair sharply, not enough to hurt, but enough to elicit a quick gasp from me. Which he promptly used to his advantage, flicking my lips with his tongue.

That kiss lasted much longer, and evolved into many others. Erik adored my throat with his lips, my shoulders and back with his hands. Everywhere he touched, my power rushed to the surface, singing, exulting at the sensation. It was intoxicating.

"Erik? Are you out here? Alex said he needed- Oh, I'm so sorry!"

I dropped down from my tiptoes and turned to see Raven looking towards us. As she was backlit, it was a bit hard to see her expression, but she didn't look terribly sorry to me. "It would appear that you're needed," I told Erik softly. "I'll see you in the morning."

As I started toward the door, I allowed my hand, previously in Erik's hair, to trail across his chest. Just before I would have lost contact with him, he snatched my hand in his to press a long, hot kiss to it. "My dreams should be rather sweet tonight," he said lowly, just for me to hear.

"As long as I'm the star in them, they should be," I told him, smirking in the way that I knew would darken his already dark eyes.

Passing Raven, I caught the triumph on her face, so I paused next to her. "Next time you want to interrupt us, try not to act so smug about it. It sort of ruins the whole effect."

The shock on her face had me nearly floating up the stairs to my room. Though, the aftereffects of Erik's kisses helped, too. All in all, a rather good night.

 **AN:** **Ugh, I really can't stand Raven. I'm trying really hard to keep from letting my distaste color my writing, but she's just such a spoiled little brat, and it makes it hard. Anyway, here's some fluff for you all. Actually, quite a bit of it. I love writing Bianca's mothering moments, though I have to remind myself to pace them. She's got to get to know the boys before she'll allow herself to be motherly all the time. After all, she's got an image to protect :) Thanks for reading, and a big thanks to CrystalVixen93, Amirachan88, avidreader96, and brigid1318 for your reviews! They make my day!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Alex and I worked together the next morning, and I could already see an improvement in his control, even if he couldn't. "Charles said that Hank is working on something that will help you control your power even more," I said, as we took a short break. "And, knowing Hank, I'm sure it will be amazing. But after this mess with Shaw, I don't want you to use it very much."

"You think I'll come to depend on it too much," he said astutely, giving me a wry grin.

"I do," I answered promptly, nodding in agreement. "It's human nature, really, to become complacent, and I don't want you to do that. Your gift is amazing, Alex, even if you've only ever seen the downside of it before. And honestly, in raw strength and power, you're one of the strongest mutants I've ever met. So, don't get complacent," I ordered, playfully jabbing his shoulder with my finger.

"Yes, ma'am," he shot back, snapping off a sarcastic salute.

I grinned, loving the sarcasm. After all, I was rather fluent in it, as well. "You've had enough of a break, I think. Time to get back to work."

Alex grumbled, but it was half-hearted at best. I could see that his attitude toward his power was changing, and that was thrilling.

After lunch, we gathered to watch Sean attempt to fly. In reality, he simply fell from a second-story window, screaming the whole way. But only at a normal pitch, not super-sonic.

"Man, you scream like a little girl," Alex teased, yelling down to his friend. Thankfully, he'd waited until Sean had stood up, giving us a thumbs up to let us know he wasn't hurt.

"And just what is so bad about being a girl?" I asked him, my eyebrow raised expectantly.

Alex seemed to remember my warning from the day previously, as he flushed a bit and looked away. "Nothing. Girls are great," he said, still avoiding my gaze.

"Girls are fantastic," MacTaggart corrected in passing. "And don't you forget it." Then, she continued on her way, without a hitch in her step.

Alex and Hank both seemed a bit unnerved by this, which, of course, made me grin. Raven smiled, as well, until she remembered that she apparently hated me and promptly stopped. Erik caught my eye and then had to turn to hide his amusement. And Charles seemed a touch confused, only adding to my entertainment.

After a long look in my direction to try to understand what was going on, Charles leaned out the window once more. "I think we need to try it again, Sean," he shouted down, "but from some place higher."

"Higher?" Sean's voice also went higher at the suggestion.

"The satellite should be high enough," Erik offered innocently, but I caught the glimmer of mischief in his eye.

Hank, however, did not. "The angles should work," he said softly, calculations clearly running in his head.

"Did he say the satellite?" Once again, Sean's voice rose several octaves, and even cracked this time.

After much complaining and cajoling, Sean and Alex went with Charles and Hank to the lab to test out Hank's projects for them. Raven wasn't interested in joining them, and so announced she was going to lift weights. She said this rather pointedly, with hinting glances toward Erik. But he didn't take her up on the offer.

"Would you like to spar again?" he asked me instead. "I could use some more practice."

I agreed, and we left Raven standing in the hallway, looking rather like she couldn't believe what was happening. It put a rather large smile on my face, especially considering that I was about to spend time alone with Erik.

After sparring for nearly half an hour, with no clear winner, Erik tried to use his power. It was subtle, just using the metal in my clothes to bring me more in range of his hits, but I felt it. "Do you feel like you can't win without cheating?" I taunted, using the momentum he'd accidentally given me to put a little bit of extra force in my next punch.

"You could tell?" Erik was so surprised that he didn't even block the hit.

His surprise threw me off, as well. "Of course, I could tell," I said, confused now by his confusion. "I can tell whenever anyone is using their powers near me."

He looked contemplative for a moment, before wry mischief covered it. "So, you'd be able to tell if I did this," he said, as he once again used the metal in my clothes to pull me to him. But instead of grappling with me, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me soundly.

"I think I like your idea of sparring," I told him, once we finally parted for air.

He simply grinned and kissed me again.

…

At dinner, Hank announced that he had finished both suits for the boys, and that they could try them out the next morning. The boys each had a mixture of excitement and anxiety written all over their faces, even for Alex's faux bravado. Charles assured them that the suits would work perfectly, then he and MacTaggart closeted themselves in the library. They said they were planning and going through new intel, but I would have bet a large sum of money that was the last thing on their minds.

Hank wanted to show Raven something in the lab, something he was working on to help them both look more normal. Alex and Sean announced they would be watching _American Bandstand_ , though I had a feeling it was really _The Flintstones_. Or possibly _The Lucy Show_. I did make them clean up the kitchen first, something they greatly complained about. "It's your turn," I said simply. "The rest of us have all done it. And the more you complain about it, the less time you have to watch your program." It was amazing how quickly they moved after that.

Erik had disappeared after eating, but not before smirking at Charles and MacTaggart with me. We'd both known what those two were planning on doing. And while I wouldn't have minded a little time alone with Erik, I made my way to the music room once more. I was in desperate need of a power release, with Alex's power still scratching away at my skin, and I had not used my own powers as much as I had the day before.

Once at the piano, I poured myself into the music, far more than I had the previous day. I tried not to focus on any particular emotion, but thoughts of Erik kept intruding. The kisses we'd shared seemed to only make me want more of them, something I'd never experienced previously. And the way his every touch dripped adoration over me was intoxicating. I'd never known a man like him before, and it excited me. And, of course, my playing reflected that, my emotions seeping into the notes that hung in the air all around me.

I knew the moment he entered the room, even without him making a sound. "You know, the name Raven gave you the other night seems rather appropriate," I mused aloud, "seeing as I can't help but feel drawn to you, whether I want to be or not."

"Well, if you wanted me to stay away, you shouldn't have played a second night in a row." His low, husky voice right behind me brought goosebumps to my skin, and my mouth watered for the taste of his.

"I needed to play," I told him, trying to concentrate on my music. I wasn't entirely succeeding.

"You could play with me." His hands ran through my hair, pulling it all to one side.

"I have too much energy to get rid of," I argued, though completely without heat.

"I can give you a much better way to use that energy," he murmured against my neck, lips ghosting across my skin.

"This much energy, I might hurt you." It was terribly hard to concentrate on Vivaldi with Erik's hands caressing my arms the way they were.

"That is a price I'm willing to pay."

For several long moments, Erik continued to distract me as I continued to play, trying to stay strong in my refusal. But, after several long, hot kisses to my neck, I broke. After all, if I did keep playing while feeling this way, the others in the house would probably do things they'd later regret.

Standing up suddenly, I turned and knelt on the piano bench, pulling Erik toward me. He met my kisses with eagerness, with a hunger that nearly undid me.

A quick slam behind me startled me, pulling me away for a brief second. But I quickly realized what it had been, as Erik reclaimed my lips, lifting me to rest on the now closed keyboard of the piano and pushing the bench underneath. "I'm not quite that small," I laughed against his mouth.

He responded by wrapping my legs around his waist, holding most of my weight with seemingly no effort. I draped my arms around his neck, to help, of course, and instantly plunged my hands into his gorgeously thick hair. A bit of a growl escaped his throat as I dragged my nails along his scalp, which had to be the most erotic sound I'd ever heard in my life.

I lost track of time as we kissed and petted and caressed one another. "Perhaps we should move this to my room," Erik whispered in my ear, his warm breath causing goosebumps to once again race over my skin.

But the meaning behind his words caused me to pause. "Erik, we should stop," I said, pulling away from him slightly.

Surprise didn't begin to cover the look on his face. "Stop? But I thought-"

I smiled, trying to let him down gently. "I would love to, believe me, but our entire world is going to be changing in just a few days. One or both of us might not be here after… after we meet with Shaw."

"Which sounds like a good reason to continue the way things were heading," Erik said, curving one hand gently around the column of my throat.

His touch was electrifying, and more than a bit distracting, but I needed to stand my ground. "It's going to change everything, and I don't want- If we did spend the night together, and something were to happen to you, that would make it that much harder for me to get over. Do you understand?"

Erik's eyes softened in comprehension, though he still tried. "Even for one night?"

I smirked up at him. "Bello, I'm not the kind of girl you have just for one night."

A loud groan accompanied him burying his face in my neck. "Meine schone Nixe, you really shouldn't have told me that if you want me to stop." But Erik took a deep breath, kissed my neck once more, and took a step back, allowing me to put my feet on the ground again. "Your wish is my command, my lady," he told me, a teasing bow in my direction.

I kissed his cheek, showing him my gratitude. "This doesn't mean we can't kiss any more, you know."

"That's very good, because I don't think I can keep my hands off you entirely until then," he grinned. "But it's probably time we went to bed, anyway. Separate beds, unfortunately."

 **AN: Things are heating up! It's a lot of fun to write scenes with Bianca and Erik, since they're both such passionate people. And so very snarky! Thanks for reading, and a bit thanks to CrystalVixen93, brigid1318, avidreader96, and guest for your reviews. They make my day!**

 **In case you forgot, bello means handsome in Italian, and meine schone Nixe is my beautiful mermaid in German, according to Google translate. If anyone actually speaks German or Italian and wouldn't mind helping me with translations, that would be lovely! Just send me a message or review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The boys complained the next morning about having… odd dreams the night before, involving Erik and/or Moira. "I mean, Moira's pretty," Sean said to Alex, "but she's scary. And Erik is even scarier."

I ignored Erik's gloating smirk all throughout breakfast. Charles wasn't as successful, given the red blush he sported for the entirety of the meal. And Moira simply acted as if nothing had happened. Sean was right, she was a bit scary. I was rather impressed.

Alex and I agreed to try his new suit that morning, so after we finished eating, we headed to the bunker, with Hank in tow. We strapped Alex into the apparatus, then stood on either side of the mannequin Charles had provided for the occasion. "I have complete faith in you," I told him. Hank, however, gave a squeak of protest from the other side of the mannequin. "Ignore Hank," I instructed Alex. "You know you can do this, and you also know that if you miss for some reason, I can and will take care of it. Now, concentrate and do what you know you can do."

Alex nodded and took a deep breath. He glared at the mannequin, like it had done him a personal wrong, then yelled, letting go of his power at the same time. Hitting the mannequin exactly on the X that Hank had so lovingly placed on its chest.

Hank sprayed the mannequin with the fire extinguisher in his hand, but I didn't care. I had my arms full of Alex, who'd thrown himself at me. "I did it, B! I did it!"

Laughing, I hugged him back. "I told you that you could! Now, are you going to believe me when I tell you something in the future?"

"Undoubtedly," he promised, though the grin he sported told me otherwise.

After several more times of Alex hitting the bullseye every time, Hank and I left him to practice by himself. "You ready for a run, big guy?" I asked Hank. "And I do mean a real one. I want to see you strut your stuff."

He blushed a bit at that, and hemmed and hawed, but in the end agreed. We stretched a little, then began. I kept up with him for a few minutes, but after quite a few glares from me, Hank pulled ahead, then lapped me many times. By the time I had run around the house four times, Hank had passed me fifteen different times.

"I knew you could do it," I laughed, gasping a bit to catch my breath. "You just had to believe it, too."

Hank blushed and rolled his eyes some, trying to brush it off. But I could see his immense pleasure and joy in his accomplishment, even as he tried to make it seem like it was nothing.

Once back at the house for lunch, it seemed that it was a time for celebration. Not only had Alex and Hank succeeded that morning, Erik had his own triumph. One that Charles was crowing. "Erik moved the satellite! He actually moved the satellite, all the way from the gardens!"

Congratulations filled the room, particularly from Raven. And just when he seemed to move to annoyed, I said, "Alex was able to accurately hit the mannequin, with the help of Hank's apparatus." I knew better than to say anything of Hank's run, but still managed to get in a bit of praise for him. And Erik shot me a grateful look, as the rest of the room turned to the two boys.

"And now it's your turn, Sean," Alex declared gleefully. "Hank's got your suit all ready for you, too, so after lunch, it's time for you to fly."

Sean went ashen, causing his freckles to stand out in sharp relief. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud.

We all headed out to the satellite after eating, well, all except Raven. "I'm going to go work on my lifting," she said, casting hinting glances at first Hank, and then Erik. But Hank was too caught up in his mental calculations to even hear her, and Erik simply turned to me, arm out in a show of chivalry. Raven paused, clearly shocked that it hadn't worked, then huffed, all but stomping away.

"Why does she dislike you so?" Erik asked softly, his breath catching the little hairs on my neck.

"I have a feeling she's used to being the prettiest one around," I smirked. "After all, why else would she look the way she does when she can choose to look like whatever she wants to?"

He grinned understandingly. "That does make quite a bit of sense."

"If it makes you feel any better, Bianca, I don't think Raven likes Moira much, either," Alex butted in, reminding me that Erik and I weren't alone.

At least it was only Alex paying attention to us, and not Charles or Hank. Charles, of course, would have wanted to defend his sister, who was much more grown up than he was willing to admit. And Hank, well, Hank was so infatuated with Raven that he would more than likely be blind to any and all flaws she might have.

"Yes, Raven doesn't seem to like any woman who might take away some attention that would otherwise be hers," Erik observed wryly, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Especially when it comes to her doting big brother."

"She is pretty," Alex said, then hurried to continue, "but not as pretty as you, B."

I laughed shortly. "It's not a competition, but I appreciate the compliment, anyway."

It took rather a long while to climb up into the dish of the satellite, but it was worth the view once we made it. "You want me to fall, from up here?" Sean asked, squeaking once again.

"I have every faith that this will work," Charles said, calm confidence coating his every word.

"I trust you," Sean told him, though it seemed rather like he was trying to convince himself.

"I'm touched."

Charles's response was cut off when Sean added, pointing to Hank, "I don't trust him."

Charles was quick to tell Hank, "Say nothing."

I rolled my eyes as Sean cried, "I'm gonna die."

Knowing that we could very well be up there all day if we left Sean to his own devices, and knowing that Hank would have already quadruple-checked his calculations before leading Sean up there, I nodded to Erik and simply pushed Sean off the satellite. Charles's admonition was nearly drowned out by Sean's screams, which turned supersonic after a few seconds, pulling him out of his fall.

"Bianca," Charles started to scold.

But I didn't care. "I merely did what we were all thinking of doing. And besides, it ended well. Sean flew, didn't he?"

Sean finally landed after several moments of joyous flying, though he did give me several mistrusting looks. "I knew you could do it," I soothed. "You just needed a little help." I neglected to mention that I knew Erik had a lock on every scrap of metal on the boy. Erik did have a reputation to manage, after all.

Moira was waiting for us back at the house. "The President is going to address the nation," she announced solemnly, instantly killing our celebratory mood.

We crowded around the television, watching as President Kennedy announced his intent to bomb any and all Soviet ships that crossed the embargo line. Dread crept into my heart with every word, knowing that my world, for better or worse, would be changed forever by the events of the next day.

"That's where we're gonna find Shaw," Erik said, nodding his head to the map of Cuba displayed on screen.

Alex asked, "How do you know?"

"Two super powers facing off," Charles started.

"And my dear papa wants to start World War Three. He's not leaving anything to chance. He'll be there," I finished, swallowing down the bitter taste the thought left in my mouth.

Erik harumphed. "So much for diplomacy. I suggest you all get a good night's sleep," he told the children, before stalking out of the room.

Between Moira and I, we bullied, cajoled, and convinced everyone besides Erik to eat dinner, even though no one had an appetite. "You'll need it for tomorrow," I assured Sean, even as he stared listlessly at his food.

But as soon as the others began to eat, I slipped out of the room. My powers weren't merely crawling under my skin, they clawed, seeking a way out. My anxiety over the next day exacerbated it, driving me near mad with a need for release.

I played for more than an hour, wracking my mind for the most inspiring songs I knew and pouring my power into them. My young friends were all nervous, scared, and it was the least I could do to help them. Then, as the shadows outside lengthened, I played quieter, more soothing songs, trying to help everyone in the house sleep well for what very well may prove to be their last night on earth. But not if I could help it. I was prepared to do anything to keep those boys safe. And Raven, too, if only for the boys' sake.

"I'm glad you pushed Sean off," Erik said softly, slipping into the room with barely a sound. But knowing him, he probably manipulated any metal in his way to aid his silence. "I was only seconds behind you in doing it myself."

I smirked at him over my shoulder. "Charles coddles the boys too much. Occasionally, they need a push."

"And Sean's needed to be off a satellite."

"Precisely."

Erik leaned on the top of the piano, watching me play for a long moment. Then, very quietly, he asked, "How did you know I would be able to catch him? If he failed, I mean."

"Sean wasn't the only one who needs to learn to trust in his abilities," I replied, raising one eyebrow in his direction.

"Sometimes, I think you're too good for me." The awe in his voice left me uncomfortable, because I certainly didn't deserve it. So, I turned it into a joke.

"Oh, bello, of course I'm too good for you. But I'll let it slide, since you're so pretty."

Erik gave me a look that said he knew exactly what I was thinking, but, for once, chose not to comment on it. Instead, he simply let me try to play the rest of the house to sleep.

I continued to play until I nearly put myself to sleep from sheer exhaustion. I hadn't ever used that much power for such a sustained length of time before. As I stood and closed the lid to the keyboard, Erik straightened, as well. "You are magnificent," he whispered, wrapping me in his arms and kissing my forehead lightly. I simply clung to him for a long moment, reveling in his solid strength.

Eventually, Erik took my hand and led me upstairs to our neighboring rooms. But at my door, he paused, not letting go of me just yet. "What is it?" I asked, concerned at his sudden hesitance. It wasn't like him to not simply say what he was thinking.

"I just-" he cut himself off with a rueful smile. "It's nothing. Sleep well, meine Schönheit."

He tried to go to his room, but I tightened my hold on his hand. "Erik, what is it? You can tell me anything."

He wavered for a moment before finally giving in. "I don't want to sleep alone tonight," he confessed softly, avoiding my gaze for probably the first time in our acquaintance. "I'm not asking for more than that, I swear. I won't push you for more, I simply don't wish to face the night alone."

Cupping his cheek with my hand, I guided him to look me in the eye. And what I saw there mirrored my own feelings, and so much more. He was afraid, to face Schmidt, to lose to him, to lose a teammate. He was determined, to right the wrongs that Schmidt had done to his people, his family, and him personally. He was morbidly satisfied that it was all coming to an end, one way or another. And he was desperately tired of being alone, just like me.

"Give me five minutes," I murmured, brushing a kiss to his cheek. "I'm not sleeping in pants."

A slow, beautiful smile crept across his face, lighting it like I had never seen before. "Nothing too provocative," he said teasingly. "Not if I'm expected to simply sleep tonight."

"Bello, I could wear an overcoat and still be provocative," I assured. "You'll simply have to keep your hands to yourself."

"It's not my hands you need worry," he smirked.

"I'm not worried. Any appendage you want to keep, you'll keep to yourself." I slipped into my room and shut the door in his face, leaving him to ponder my words.

I did change into a short silk nightgown, but only because it was so warm that night. Sleeping with another person in the bed would only make me warmer, and heaven knew I never could sleep hot. I brushed my hair well, tying it up in a loose bun on top of my head, then brushed my teeth and washed my face.

Opening my door, I was greeted with the sight of Raven leaving Erik's room. In her natural blue form, without a stitch of clothing on. "Have a good night, Bianca," she said sweetly, prancing her way down the hall.

After a stunned moment, I walked the few feet to Erik's door and knocked. He opened it quickly, relief mingling with desire as he looked me over. "It's you," he said astutely.

"Of course, it's me," I replied, brushing past him to enter his room. "Who else did you think it might be?"

"Oh, no one," was his too quick answer.

I sat demurely on his bed, crossing my legs enough to cause my hemline to rise. "So, you weren't thinking it was Raven coming back for round two?"

 **AN: It's been forever, and I'm sorry. I've been reading a lot lately, which means I don't write. I'm sorry! I haven't abandoned you, I promise! And even though I'm leaving you with a cliffie this time, I won't leave you hanging for long. Thanks for continuing to read, follow, and favorite, and a big thanks to brigid1318, ZabuzasGirls, and CrystalVixen93 for your reviews. They make my day!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Erik's face froze for a moment, before fluidly changing to concerned confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Are you trying to tell me that Raven wasn't naked in your room two minutes ago?" I wasn't letting him get away with bluffing his way out of this. "I saw her leaving your room, utterly naked. Would you care to tell me what that's all about?"

He sighed, letting the façade go. "She was waiting for me when I got back. She seemed… to want for company tonight, but I sent her away. Nothing happened, I swear to you."

"Considering you two were in here for less than ten minutes together," I began, letting him off the hook, "I'm sure nothing happened. I quite doubt she could do anything well in that time frame."

"And you could?" Erik's smirk was back, with that challenging gleam I was beginning to adore.

"Of course, I could. And you would be putty in my hands," I promised, leaning back onto my elbows.

"I will love every minute of it," he said, eyes dark as they roamed over my frame.

"And you'll have to wait until after tomorrow to learn. Now, go change. We do need to get some semblance of sleep tonight," I ordered, pointing to his ensuite bathroom.

Erik simply grinned and pulled his shirt over his head, displaying his ridiculously sculpted physique. I'd assumed it was nice, especially after all the times he'd held me against him, but seeing was most assuredly believing. And then he slipped out of his pants, leaving him in nothing more than his boxer shorts. Nothing can happen tonight, I firmly reminded myself. Several times.

As Erik walked around the bed to the far side, I was suddenly hit by nerves. I'd never gone to bed with a man before, well, not without far more physical things first. But somehow, this felt far more intimate, simply sharing a bed with Erik. I sat, frozen, until after he'd slipped under the covers and flipped them back for me, holding out an inviting arm.

It was as if a spell had been broken. I knew Erik wasn't going to try to take advantage of the situation, he simply wanted company, so I slid in next to him, cuddling up to his side. Immediately, I felt more at ease, and as he began to run his fingers through my hair and over my arm, a part of me seemed to fall into place. Like I'd finally found what I'd been looking for my whole life.

I was far from ready to admit that, however. I'd deal with that once we got back from Cuba. Instead, I cuddled in more, tracing invisible doodles across his chest. Soon, our breathing synced, lulling me far more than any song ever had. Just before I fell asleep, I whispered, "Erik, promise me one thing."

His hand in my hair stuttered, marking his surprise. "What? Anything."

"Promise me you won't let him win. Promise me you won't let him turn you into the monster he tried so hard to make you."

Erik was quiet for so long, I thought he had fallen asleep. But his barely audible "I promise" floated out into the world, making it the last thing I heard before I slept.

…

Fingers combing through my hair and warm sunshine on my skin woke me slowly. A warm, contented feeling flooded my body, causing me to feel far more relaxed than I was used to.

"I know you're awake, Schatzi," Erik rumbled underneath my ear.

"No, I'm not," I mumbled back. "I'm still sleeping." After all, I desperately wanted nothing more than to stay with Erik, in bed, all day. Not facing what was waiting for us in the water surrounding Cuba.

But the world, and Charles, wouldn't let us forget or ignore. "We need to leave for the air field in half an hour. Food is waiting in the kitchen, and you all need to eat. Even you, Bianca and Erik. Or rather, especially you two." Charles spoke to all of us in the house, presumably waking the children.

The moment was broken, bringing the world back into our little bubble. Erik stiffened just the tiniest bit. And I knew my Erik was gone, replaced by Magneto, at least until we dealt with my father. There was nothing for me to do, so I simply brushed a kiss to his cheek and slipped out of bed, heading to my room to get dressed.

Sean and Alex made certain that I ate something, waylaying me to force a muffin and an apple on me. "After all, you made us eat last night and didn't eat yourself, so it's only fair that we make you eat this morning," Sean somewhat gleefully pointed out. I ate, but only to make them happy. It all tasted like sawdust in my mouth, gluing my tongue to the roof of my mouth, even after three glasses of water.

Hank was the only one missing after we ate, so we headed to the lab, since that's where he'd spent nearly the entire week previously. But when we got there, there was no Hank. Instead, a note was on the door, instructing us to bring the case marked "X" to the air field. Charles pushed the door open, revealing the biggest mess I'd seen involving Hank. His typically spotless lab equipment was scattered along the tables and floor, spilling chemicals and broken glass everywhere. It was almost difficult to walk toward the large container Hank had indicated.

"Hank has been busy," Charles said in awe, revealing a suit for each of us, seemingly tailored to our individual needs and powers.

"Do we really have to wear these?" Alex asked incredulously. I didn't think he had much room to talk, as the boy had no sense of fashion, anyway. He still thought donning a leather jacket instantly meant he was a bad boy, a rebel without a cause.

"As none of us have mutated to endure extreme G-force or being riddled with bullets, I'd suggest we suit up," Charles said sternly, handing each of us our suits. After his pronouncement, only Raven seemed to mind.

Upon arriving at the airfield, all suited up, we still couldn't see Hank. "Where is he?" Raven asked, for once sounding concerned with someone other than herself.

The boy answered, "I'm here," but something was off. His voice was deeper than normal, even for echoing across the hangar, giving us a reference for his appearance. His appearance that slowly surprised us.

"Hank?" Charles questioned, asking what had to have been on all our minds. After all, instead of the tall, gangly scientist we'd come to know, the person in front of us was bulkier, covered in fur, and blue.

"What on earth happened to you, Hank?" I was concerned. Did someone manage to break into the mansion and attack Hank last night? I wouldn't have put it past my father to send Azazel to do just that, though he probably would have tried to kill us all.

"The serum… It didn't attack the cells," he answered, sounding more depressed than ever. "It enhanced them. It didn't work."

"Yes, it did, Hank." For once, Raven actually surprised me, showing empathy and compassion I'd thought beyond her. Perhaps I needed to reevaluate my opinion of her. "Don't you see? This is who you were meant to be. This is you. No more hiding, for either of us."

Erik chose that moment to slap his arm in a friendly manner. At least, friendly for Erik. "You've never looked better, man."

Hank didn't take it well, growling, literally growling, and wrapping a hand around Erik's neck. With ease, he lifted the other man, dangling him like a rag doll.

"Hank, Hank, put him down," Charles said anxiously, but the boy didn't seem to hear.

"Don't mock me," he growled in Erik's face.

"Hank, he didn't mean it that way. It was supposed to be a compliment," I assured, stepping forward to put a hopefully calming hand on his shoulder. "Now, put him down, so you can fly us to Cuba and save the world."

With another growl in the back of his throat, he dropped Erik, who stumbled to his feet. I elbowed Erik in the ribs to keep him quiet, just as Alex chimed in with, "Even I gotta admit, you look pretty bad ass. And I think I've got a new name for you: Beast."

Hank simply growled again, turning and leading the way to the plane, only pausing when Sean asked, "Are you sure you can fly this thing?"

Hank answered with annoyed confidence, "Of course, I can. I designed it."

If anyone other than Hank had said that, I still would have worried. But knowing how Hank was obsessive about every detail of his designs, I knew we would be fine.

…

Somehow, Hank had managed to create a plane that took us from New York to Cuba in less than two hours. The flight was quiet, tense. Sean and Alex tried to play "I Spy", but after the third round where only the other guessed, the game petered out. I would have played, simply to keep their spirits up, but I was focusing on my power, keeping it calm. Anticipation made it a bit harder to control than usual, knowing that I would be calling on it in such a big way very soon. And Erik spent the entirety using his power to flip a coin between his fingers, steadily glaring at nothing the whole trip.

Hank let us all know we'd arrived with an encouraging, "Looks pretty messy out there." Exactly what we needed to hear.

My eyes flew open, taking in the scene. Two fleets lined up against each other, with one lone ship in between, creeping closer to that invisible line that couldn't be crossed.

Charles concentrated for a moment, before announcing that the crew of the Aral Sea, the one carrying the bombs, were all dead. My father's handiwork, of course.

"He's still here, somewhere," Erik insisted, knowing the man all too well.

"He's set the ship on course for the embargo line," Charles told us, to which Moira stated the obvious.

"If that ship crosses the line, our boys are gonna blow it up. And the war begins."

"Unless they're not our boys," Charles said, eyes lighting up with an idea. He concentrated once more, then opened his eyes in triumph. Just as Hank threw us into a tight barrel roll, making us all tense and Raven scream.

"A little warning next time, Professor," Hank said drolly.

Charles grinned a bit. "Sorry about that. Everyone alright?"

The rest of us nodded, though Raven still shook. Perhaps my opinion of her should stay just the way it was.

"That was inspired, Charles," Moira tossed over her shoulder, throwing her lover the tiniest of grins.

"Thank you very much," he replied, glowing for an equally tiny moment. "But I still can't locate Shaw."

"He's down there. I know he is," I stated, knowing it with all my being.

"We have to find him," Erik added. I leaned briefly into his shoulder, needing some contact, some assurance that someone else was on the same page as me in all this.

Charles turned to Hank, who in turn asked Moira if there was anything unusual on the radar or scanners. She answered in the negative, causing Hank to sigh. "Then, he must be underwater, and obviously, we don't have sonar."

My heart sank, and Erik seemed to feel the same way, sighing deeply and clenching he jaw. And then, Sean saved the day. "Yes, we do."

Charles immediately unbuckled himself from his seat. "Yes, we do." Erik and I unbuckled, as well, and the four of us moved to the back. "Hank, level the bloody plane!"

He did, with a groan, as Sean turned to see Erik and me. "Whoa, you back right off," he told us, clearly not forgetting when I shoved him off the satellite, though his wink told me I was forgiven. I shrugged, grinning at him, but Erik crept closer. I knew he'd keep a metaphorical eye on the boy, on every piece of metal he was wearing.

Once he was sure I was back far enough, Sean gleefully told Hank to open the bomb bay doors. "Now remember," Charles screamed at him over the wind that suddenly shrieked through the jet, "this is a muscle. You control it. You'll be in here the entire time," he added, pointing to his own head. "We'll see you soon. On my mark. Three. Two. One. Go!"

Even though I knew he could control it, my heart still mildly dropped to my toes as the cheerfully broken boy dropped out of the plane, screaming to control his descent. "Alert the fleet," Moira told her CIA friends on the radio. "They may want to take their cans off."

A tense moment later, Charles told us, "Banshee's got a location on Shaw. You ready for this?" he asked Erik.

Erik's answer was full of determination, rage, and fear, though I was certain only Charles and I could tell that. "Let's find out."

Hank pulled the plane to where Charles indicated, lowering the landing gear, with Erik clinging to it. My heart had recently decided to relocate permanently to my feet, I was convinced, seeing the man I… was very fond of so precariously perched. He struggled, aiming his power to the sub, but nothing happened. He needed help, so I began singing. Wordlessly, probably tonelessly, but with every bit of encouragement I could shove into the tone. Next to me, Charles was clearly speaking to him telepathically, also doing what he could to help Erik.

At least one of us seemed to have gotten through to him, as Erik relaxed a bit. And in the next moment, a huge submarine rose from the water, probably giving both fleets heart attacks.

Erik guided it toward the beach, with Hank carefully keeping us over it. And then I saw Janos emerging from the sub, ready to do battle. "No!" I screamed, but there was nothing I could do. We were too far away for me to sing him down, Erik had his hands full with the sub, and Charles was too busy helping Erik keep control of his powers. I scrambled back further into the plane as Janos's hurricane came straight for the jet.

"Erik, take my hand!" Charles screamed, reaching for Erik.

Hank warned us all to hold on, once again rolling us away from danger. Or, at least trying to. The funnel cloud slammed into us, breaking Erik's concentration on the sub. It also nearly broke him free of the jet, as both Charles and I dived for him. We pulled him up and into the plane, just as the plane crashed into the beach, rolling over and over. Erik threw himself over both Charles and me, using himself and his power as a sort of seatbelt to keep us against the roof of the plane.

The plane kept rolling, the wings had obviously broken off, and Raven kept letting out tiny little screams. I suppose I should be grateful they're tiny, was the thought the flashed through my mind briefly, though I quickly abandoned it for feeling quite grateful that Erik was as powerful as he was. Otherwise, Charles and/or I would have been dead.

We eventually rolled to a stop, and Erik slowly lowered us to the roof, which was now the bottom. Everyone untangled themselves, straightening out of their upside-down seat. Charles quickly made sure everyone was alright. "I read the teleporter's mind," he announced. "Shaw's drawing all the power to himself. He's turning himself into some kind of nuclear bomb."

And just when I thought my father couldn't get any worse, I thought morosely, before drawing myself up again. If I could get close to him, I could draw that power into me, taking it away from him.

"We've got no time," Moira warned. "The Geiger counter is going out of control."

Charles nodded decisively. "Alright, Moira, this is what we're going to do. Get on the radio, tell them to clear both fleets out of here immediately."

"I'm going in," Erik and I each said, not leaving any room for discussion.

"Beast, Havok, back them up," Charles ordered, settling into his commander's role. "Bianca, Erik, I can guide you both through once you're in, but I need you to shut down whatever it is that's blocking me. Then, we just hope to God it's not to late for me to stop him."

"It won't be," I said, heading to the door.

"Good luck," he told me, as Erik followed me outside.

Azazel, Janos, and Angel were waiting for us, but both men knew better than to engage me. Instead, Angel and Azazel took on the boys, and Erik knocked Janos out with the giant hunk of metal he ripped out of the side of the sub, conveniently giving us a doorway.

"Head for the middle of the vessel," Charles guided us, and for once, I didn't mind him in my head. "That's the point my mind can't penetrate. We have to assume that's where Shaw is."

Erik and I ran through the ship, with him throwing aside anything that blocked our path. "That's the nuclear reactor," Charles informed us, just as we got to a giant lever on the wall. "Disable it."

Erik pushed it down, and I was really hoping for something dramatic to happen. Nothing did, however, so we pushed through to the next room. "You're there," Charles said. "You've reached where my mind can't penetrate."

"He's not here," I replied, with Erik echoing, "Shaw's not here! He's left the sub!" Desperation coated both our voices.

"What? He's got to be there! There's nowhere else he can be! Keep looking!"

"And I'm telling you, he's not! There's no one here-"

My gasp at a hidden panel suddenly opening behind him cut off Erik's angry retort, causing him to whirl around. "Bianca, Erik, what a pleasant surprise. It's so good to see my two greatest creations again, and together at last, just as I always planned. Obviously, it took a bit longer than I'd planned, but it all works out in the end, yes? We've got so much to discuss," my father said, looking completely unruffled by the death and destruction he had planned.

 **AN: I meant to have this out on Sunday, but work got in the way. Sorry! But still, it's not nearly as long as my usual breaks. And I'm getting close to the end of this story! Only a few more chapters to go. But don't worry! Bianca and Erik's story isn't over yet. There will be a sequel, a Days of Future Past timeline, but it will be far different from the movie. I'm really excited for this, and I hope you all stick with me for it! Thanks for reading, especially for those of you who follow and favorite, and a big thanks to my reviewers, CrystalVixen93, brigid1318, and guest. I'm so glad I could convert you all to my way of thinking in regards to Raven!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Seemingly without thought, both Erik and I stalked toward the hidden nuclear reactor. I hardly noticed the door closing behind us. "May I ask you something?" My father's voice was soft, calm, quiet, like a snake hidden in tall grass. "Why are you on their side? Why fight for a doomed race who will hunt us as soon as they realize their reign is coming to an end?"

His words seemed to hypnotize us both for a brief moment. They'd always had that power over me, making the most horrible words seem logical, just for the moment. That moment passed, far quicker for Erik than me, and he rushed forward, punching Shaw in the face. It was ineffective, but brave, as it did far more damage to Erik's hand than my father's face.

"I'm sorry for what happened in the camps," he told Erik, then turned to me. "And I'm sorry for what happened to your mother, and in Las Vegas. I truly am." Then, as calmly as one would turn the page in a book, he tapped Erik's forehead, sending him flying against the walls, shattering two of the mirrored panels.

"Whatever you two are doing, keep doing it!" Charles's triumphant voice suddenly sounded in my head again. "It's starting to work!"

"But everything I did, I did it for you both, to unlock your powers, to make you embrace them," Shaw continued, going for Erik again.

I grabbed his arm just before he touched him, absorbing just the tiniest bit of his power. Instead of Erik flying backwards, Shaw did, slamming into the glass and further shattering the barrier between us and Charles.

Shaw laughed as he stood up, giving me an appreciative look. "See?" he said gleefully, madness now apparent in his words. "You're far stronger than you were five years ago! I've helped you with that!"

"I'm stronger because you allowed Emma Frost to rape my mind," I yelled, helping Erik up. "I learned I had to fight back."

"And I taught you that," he agreed.

"It's working," Charles encouraged. "But I can't yet touch his mind."

"You've come a long way from the scared, unsure little girl who just wanted to sing," Shaw told me, then turned to Erik. "And you've come so far from simply bending gates. I'm so proud of both of you."

Erik caused the metal in the walls to come crashing into the room, completely shattering the mirrors around us and hitting my father with every one. But the man simply absorbed the kinetic energy, making it his. I jumped to the side, suddenly separated from both of them, and unable to move for the metal around me.

Shaw pushed forward, even as Erik tried to push against him with the metal at his disposal. "But you've just begun to scratch the surface," Shaw continued, moving the metal with far less concentration than Erik did. And now all that metal was between me and him, keeping me from being able to drain him. "Think of how much further we could go, together," he said, his words attempting to slither into every corner of my mind. He continued to push against the metal, trapping Erik against the wall.

"No!" I cried, pulling all the energy I could from the sub. But no matter how much I pulled from it, there wasn't much I could do if I couldn't touch Shaw.

"I don't want to hurt you, Erik," he said silkily. "I never did." Then, he looked to me for a long moment, reading far more than I ever wanted him to. "And clearly, I don't want to hurt Bianca. She's my daughter. I love her very much. I want to help you both. This, this is our time, our age. We are the future of the human race. The three of us, together. No one would ever get between us. This world could be ours."

"Everything you did made me stronger," Erik confessed, causing my heart to stop for a moment. "Made me the weapon I am today." My heart broke at that. "It's the truth. I've known it all along. You are my creator." And then I saw his plan.

With the metal wiring that broke when he'd thrown the walls at Shaw, Erik snatched the helmet from Shaw's head, the one that had kept both Charles and me out. But even as Erik screamed, "Now, Charles!", I began to sing. I threw everything I had at the man responsible for my birth, and so much of Erik's pain. I sang my pain, and anger, and insecurities. I sang for my hurt at his betrayal of me. I sang for his torture of Erik and so many others. And I sang for the little girl I'd once been, desperately hoping for a papa someday.

Between Charles's telepathy and my siren skills, Shaw couldn't move. He froze in the act of reaching for his helmet, looking ridiculous, a far cry from his usual imposing presence.

"Sorry, Charles," Erik muttered, and I wasn't sure he'd even meant to say it aloud. He took the helmet, slipping it on as he faced Shaw.

I had a hard time continuing to sing, as Charles yelled through the telepathic link, forgetting, for a moment, that I was still connected, as well. But I managed, making sure Shaw didn't move. I even succeeded in shoving Charles out of my head, to make sure he didn't try to use me to stop Erik from what he needed to do.

Erik dropped his hold on the metal around the tiny room, allowing me to step over it and to my father. Even as I sang, I pulled all the energy he'd absorbed, both from Erik and the nuclear reactor, and even pulling from the man himself. That left him with hardly enough to breath, but I figured Erik deserved the chance for vengeance. He'd gone through so much more than me, after all, and perhaps it would give him an opportunity to move on.

"If you're in there," Erik began, tilting his head so that it brushed Shaw's frozen hand in a mockery of affection, "I'd like you to know that I agree with every word you've said. We are the future. But, unfortunately, you killed my mother," he continued, walking a few steps away before turning back to Shaw. "This is what we're going to do." He held up the coin he'd been flipping around his fingers on the plane, and I recognized it as Nazi. "I'm going to count to three, and I'm going to move the coin. Eins. Zwei. Drei." As the last number fell from his lips, the coin sank into Shaw's head, going through it and out the other side.

The last note I sang hung in the air, much like Shaw's body for a brief moment, before crashing to the ground. I sighed in time with Erik, who sank to the ground in release. But only for a moment. He straightened, then used the ring on Shaw's right hand and the watch on his left to float his body out of the room. "Come," he said, reaching a hand out to me. "The others need us."

Erik decided the easiest way out would be to simply punch a hole out of the side of the sub, then use the metal in both our suits to lower us, and Shaw's body, to the ground. "Today, our fighting stops," he announced, catching the attention of everyone on that beach. Janos, Azazel, and Angel looked shaken, but not destroyed to see their dead leader hanging in midair. And then, Erik let him drop with a sickening crunch.

"Take off your blinders, brothers and sisters," he continued. "The real enemy is out there." He pointed to the fleets in the water, and my heart dropped, once more taking residence in my toes. "I feel their guns, moving to target us. Americans, Soviets, humans, united in fearing what they do not know. Go ahead, Charles, tell me I'm wrong."

Charles paused, listening to the conversations on the ships, before looking to Moira and nodding. She ran back to the wrecked plane, presumably to tell the fleet to stop. But I knew it was pointless.

Countless missiles made their way to the beach, but I knew Erik wouldn't let them hurt us. I also knew with absolute surety that he, in his current state of rage and pain from meeting with Shaw, would send them right back to the innocent men in those ships. "Erik, no!" I cried, watching him do the exact thing I'd known he would do.

"Erik, you said it yourself," Charles tried. "We're the better men. This is the time to prove it." Erik didn't stop, didn't even blink in his concentration. "There are thousands of good men on those ships. Good, honest men! They're just following orders."

Erik finally turned at that, but only his head. "I've been at the mercy of men just following orders. Never again." And then he released the missiles back to where they came from.

"Erik, stop!" I screamed, letting my power fill my voice, just in case it worked through the helmet. "You promised me! You promised you would not become the monster he tried to turn you into!"

He paused, and that was all Moira needed. She took aim, breaking Erik's concentration with a rapid fire of bullets headed his way. Erik turned on her, using his power to send bullets flying elsewhere. Elsewhere, like directly at Charles's spine.

I saw what was happening, and without thought, I tried something I'd never been able to do before. I pulled mentally at that bullet's force, pulling back with everything I had, trying to stop it, or at least slow it down. Just as it reached my friend, I felt it responding to me. But it wasn't enough.

Charles arched back in surprise, then dropped in pain. His scream was piercing, a sound I knew would haunt my nightmares. I raced toward him, Erik just barely beating me. "Just hold still, Charles," I gasped out, not entirely sure what to do.

Erik gathered Charles into his arms, pulling the bullet from his back. As the kids started our way, he flung them back. And when Moira started for us, he focused on her. "This is your fault," he seethed, reaching for the dog tags around her neck with his power.

"Erik-" I started to say something, though I really had no idea what, but Charles's quiet voice stopped me.

"She didn't do this, Erik. You did."

A heartbroken Erik turned to him, as Moira dropped, gasping, to the ground. "Us turning on each other, that's what they want. I tried to warn you, Charles," he said, so softly I could barely hear. "We're brothers, you and I, a family," he added, looking to me with all the pain he'd buried throughout his life shining in his eyes. "All of us, together, protecting each other. We want the same thing."

Charles chuckled sadly. "Oh, I'm sorry, my friend, but we do not."

Erik froze for a moment, then looked to me. I didn't know what he was looking for, but he didn't seem to find it. Instead, he carefully put Charles on the ground, his head in my lap, gesturing to allow Moira to come to her lover's aid.

As she muttered apology after apology to Charles, Erik stood and faced the others. "As society won't accept us, we form our own. The humans have played their hand. Now, we get ready to play ours. Who's with me?" I felt him look to me again, but I refused to look away from my friend, lying on the beach, bleeding. Charles was the one who most needed me at the moment. "No more hiding."

Those words were aimed at Raven, aimed to get her to join his little crusade. She, however, came to her brother's side, falling to her knees. "You should go with him," he gasped. "It's what you want."

"You promised me you would never read my mind," she countered. But you didn't have to be a telepath to read what was written all over her face.

"I promised you a great many things, I'm afraid. I'm sorry."

Raven's gaze flicked over his face for a long moment, before she kissed his hand and put it back on his chest. "Take care of him," she told me and Moira, then stood to join Erik.

"Take care of him?!" I was incensed. Scooting Charles's head off my lap, I then shot to my feet and faced her and Erik, as well as Janos, Azazel, and Angel, who were coming to join them. "Azazel, if you leave us stranded on this beach, I will never forgive you. I will not rest until I find you and you will not like the result of that. You can come get the rest of them once you've taken us."

The red devil, as he liked to be called, considered me. As he knew I didn't make idle threats, it didn't take him long to answer me. "Da. Where to?"

"Atlantic City. My house," I told him, then turned to the boys. "If you don't want to be left on this beach, I suggest you get over here now."

The three scurried over, worried and a bit leery of Azazel, and possibly me. But I didn't have time to worry about coddling them. Not with Charles lying at my feet, possibly paralyzed. "Everyone, hold on to me," I instructed, grabbing onto Azazel's hand as I spoke. Each of the boys clung to my arms, and Charles weakly fisted my pant leg. Moira refused to let go of Charles, but I simply focused all my power on keeping us together, then nodded to Azazel.

In the split second before we disappeared from that beach, I caught Erik's eye. His heartbreak and pain echoed in my own heart. I couldn't agree with his decision, but I couldn't fault him for it, either, given the emotional toll the day had had on all of us. Him, most especially. I knew this wasn't our final goodbye.

Azazel teleported us into the living room of my house in Atlantic City. The boys stumbled upon landing, but Moira and Charles simply looked as though they'd never moved. "I take him to hospital?" Azazel asked me.

"Let me make a call, then yes," I said, deciding what to do as I went.

I made a quick telephone call, then nodded to Azazel. He took Charles and Moira, then reported back to let me know a surgical team had been waiting for them. "Thank you, my friend," I told him softly.

"Da," he retorted, a wry grin twisting his lips, before he poofed out of my house.

Turning to the boys, I marched each of them into the kitchen, setting them to cleaning themselves up. Another call and five more minutes later, a knock sounded at my door. All three of them jumped at the noise, but I soothed them. "It's just my cousin bringing some clothes for all of you. It's alright."

Lorenzo kissed my cheek as he brushed past me into the house. "You always manage to bring trouble with you, cugina," he declared, heading to the kitchen with his bundle of clothes and medical pack. "And today was supposed to be my day off."

"You're never off for family," I reminded.

"The only reason I'm here. Now, take off those… whatever you're wearing, so I can see any damage," he ordered the boys. They meekly did as they were told, attesting to the trauma they'd been through. Though, they did pause at stripping completely, giving me my cue to leave.

"I'll be in my room changing," I announced, just so the boys wouldn't worry.

Lorenzo looked over each of the boys, bandaging each and every scrape, sprain, or cut. He knew better than to even offer the same for me, since my power kept me from nearly all injuries. Once we were all seen to and changed, I drove us to the hospital where Charles was in surgery.

A private waiting room was prepared for us, where Moira was already seated. She took the clothes I offered gratefully, explaining that the doctors were optimistic about Charles's recovery before slipping into the bathroom to change.

The surgery took several tense hours, but once Dr. Corleone walked out to give us the news that Charles would still be able to walk, though not without the help of a cane and much physical therapy, it was definitely worth the wait. We still had to bide our time until Charles came out of the anesthesia, but as Nonno had food sent for us all, it didn't seem to take that long. And then the boys and Moira eagerly greeted him, talking over one another to make sure he would be alright.

I tried to concentrate on the conversation, I really did, but my adrenaline had finally stopped rushing through my body, and my power was screaming to be used. It clawed at my skin, begging for a release, even as I fought to keep up with what was being said. I feigned protest, as the others did, even for my secret relief, when Dr. Corleone announced that we needed to let his patient rest.

Driving back to my house, I shoved food at Moira and the boys, then showed Moira to the guest room. The boys got any extra blankets and pillows I had, and a rather overpowered lullaby. They were asleep in seconds, though I could only attribute some of that to me. After all, it had been a very stressful day for all of us.

I knew that Moira wasn't asleep, but I was in no mood to actually talk to her, so I headed to my room. I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't, or rather, wouldn't, leave the boys, so I was left with pacing as my only option. Half an hour into it, I wasn't feeling any more settled and getting quite desperate.

A soft "poof" sounded, instantly catching my attention. Azazel, dressed as impeccably as ever, lounged on my bed, looking up at me implacably. "You have energy to lose?"

I sighed. "You are a lifesaver."

"Come. We go."

Azazel stood, holding a hand out to me, and I took it. With another quiet poof, I found myself in the desert, with only the light from the stars shining down on us. "Five minutes be enough?" he asked me, and I nodded. And he was gone again.

The day weighed on me, from seeing my father again, to seeing him killed at Erik's hand, with my help, to Charles getting hurt, it just was all too much. And the worry of Charles and his recovery, and the boys getting through all this, and Erik coming back, I couldn't do it. I drew every ounce of that power crawling under my skin, drawing it into a tight ball inside my chest. Then, with a scream that tore at my throat, I released it, flinging it away from me.

After a very long moment, I came back to myself. It wasn't surprising that I found myself on my knees, with tears trickling down my face. I brushed them away, knowing that Azazel would be back soon enough.

And he was. He gave me a long look, then took my hand and helped me to my feet. He took me back home, back to my bedroom, so hopefully no one would have known I'd ever left. "Thank you, again."

"It was Lehnsherr. He told me you needed release, needed somewhere to not hurt others. But I pass along thanks," he said, with a final grin before disappearing again.

The thought that Erik had known what I'd needed, even without being with me, warmed me. It, along with finally expelling all the energy I'd stolen from my father, allowed me to settle into sleep. With the memory of the night before, when I'd slept curled up against Erik, and the sure hope I'd do it again soon, I slept far more soundly than I'd earlier expected to.

 **AN: And here's the next chapter! We only have one, maybe two more chapters to go for this one, so I thought I'd leave you all with a fluffy ending to this chapter. Especially since I probably won't be able to write much in the near future. Real life sometimes gets in the way of my fictional ones. Thanks for reading, following, and favoriting, and a big thanks to CrystalVixen93 and brigid1318 for your lovely reviews.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Charles stayed in the hospital for more than a week. During that time, I shuttled Moira and the boys to the hospital every morning, then back to my house every night. While we were in his room with him, there was a constant teasing tone to every word spoken, though with a desperate aftertaste. We each felt the relief that we had all made it through alive, and relatively whole. But we were also missing two members of our little group, and even if we hadn't always gotten along, it still felt like we weren't whole.

The morning Charles was released from the hospital, it was agreed that Moira and I would be the ones to pick him up. After all, if the boys were with us, we wouldn't all fit in my car, and Charles needed to be able to stretch out across the back seat. No, the boys were all waiting for us at my house, supposedly cleaning up the place.

Moira was signing all the release forms necessary with the nurse, leaving me with just Charles for the first time since before Cuba. We talked for a bit, enjoying one another's company. Until he quietly reached for my hand. "Bianca, you know Erik's not coming back."

"Of course, he is." My mind automatically rejected any other option. "Well, not here, of course, but he'll come to Westchester…"

Charles's heartbroken look caused me to stop. "No, Bianca, he's not coming back. And neither is Raven. They're not coming back to us."

"No. No, that's not right! No, he promised! He promised me-" But as I mentally reviewed the week spent in New York, I realized that Erik had never promised me anything, other than the promise he'd made the night before Cuba. We'd alluded to having a future together, to becoming more together, but never once made a promise. "No, he has to come back," I whimpered, feeling heartbreak and desperation crashing down on me.

"I'm so sorry, Bianca," Charles whispered, clinging to my hand. "I'm so, so sorry."

"For what?" Moira asked, suddenly appearing at the door with a nurse and a wheelchair.

"It's nothing," I assured, pasting on a falsely bright smile. "Now, let's get you out of here, Charles. And hopefully the boys haven't broken anything in the time that they've been alone."

All day long, I kept myself busy, making sure everyone was fed and comfortable and out of trouble. I cooked, I cleaned, I smiled, I chatted, anything to keep my mind occupied. It didn't help that Charles kept shooting me sorrowful glances, but I did my best to ignore them. And my own piercing heartbreak.

But it wouldn't be ignored forever. Once the others were all in bed, I slipped outside, running toward the beach. I pounded my way down the surf, trying to outrun my demons.

It didn't work. I still felt that stabbing heartbreak, and aching betrayal, and shattering disappointment. Even singing my loss to the stars didn't help, though it did calm my powers some.

Back at home, I found three damaged teenaged boys waiting up for me. "Charles had a nightmare, and with the medication conflicting with his control, he projected a bit," Hank said, answering my silent question.

"Erik and Raven aren't coming back, are they." Alex knew, even as he said it, that his words were true.

"They left us." Poor Sean, the boy who had been abandoned by his parents, at least emotionally, was left by more people he trusted.

So, I simply bundled my boys up, piling the blankets and pillows into a giant mound on the living room floor, and cuddled them all. It was the least I could do, for all our aching hearts.

…

It was another week before Charles was healed enough to last the trip to Westchester. We never really discussed it, but somehow, the boys all knew I wouldn't be joining them. We talked logistics, like that my Zio Giorgio would take them all in his Cadillac, and how Hank would help with Charles's recovery. But we never mentioned that I would not be joining them.

The night before their departure, I visited with Nonno. It was in his office, that somehow didn't seem quite as large as it once did, or possibly it was the man himself who didn't seem quite so large. We spoke of Charles's recovery, and various family members, and the casino. He told me of the new singer he was trying out for the nightclub, but was quick to assure that she was nowhere near my skill and talent. "I suppose we'll have to make her permanent," he sighed sadly. "Or find someone else entirely."

"Nonno, once Moira and the boys are gone, I can start singing again," I protested.

"It's a long drive to come from Westchester every night," he told me, a knowing look emphasized by his very bushy raised eyebrow.

"I'm not going to Westchester," I said emphatically.

"Mia cara, you are mine, and I will always love you. There will always be room for you at the family table. But this is not where your heart lies. Not anymore. Go with them. Go with your boys. They need you, now more than ever. You can help them. And you can always come home for a visit, or use the telephone. But you need to go."

"But you're my family," I argued. Against him and my heart.

Nonno smiled gently. "And now, so are they. You don't love someone less because you love someone new, mia cara. And we will always be here for you."

I waffled for a long moment, between what my heart was saying and my duty to family dictated. And Nonno simply waited patiently, gently waiting for me to decide for myself. "Thank you, Nonno," I finally said, standing up to kiss his cheek. "I'll visit, and call, and write. I love you."

"And I love you, mia cara. Never forget your way home."

…

The departure for Westchester was delayed a few days while I frantically packed my house. Though the boys were a marvelous team, once they knew I was going with them. And in the end, Moira drove Zio Lorenzo's truck, with Charles fluffily ensconced next to her. I got the dubious pleasure of driving with three teenaged boys in my car. It did mean that I got to see them slowly returning to their usual levels of exuberance, which in turn meant that they were healing from Cuba.

Charles immediately wanted to start in the renovations upon our return to Westchester. He hobbled through the halls, clutching his cane, and occasionally using it to point to changes he wanted to make. The rest of us had to remind him often to rest.

The boys proved to be as good a demolition team as they were movers. Alex used his charges, and Hank his newly found strength, to pull down walls. And Charles's money proved useful, getting construction teams in and done by March. We were ready to begin looking for new teachers and students to fill our halls.

Charles and I agreed that I would be the music and languages teacher, with any counselling duties added as necessary. "In a few years, you could even begin to teach psychology classes," he grinned happily.

"If anyone wants to take those classes," I warned. "And just what will Moira be teaching?"

His smile fell, though he still tried to hide it. "We haven't sorted it all out just yet," he hedged.

"If you're going to send her away, I'd recommend sooner, rather than later," I advised sardonically.

Charles winced, but I wasn't done. "Moira cares about you, and the boys, and what you want to do here, Charles. She deserves a say in this."

"She can't keep spending every day in Washington, working for the CIA, and then every spare moment here," he protested. "It's not safe, for her, or for us here at the school. And it would be unfair to ask her to choose between the two."

"Life's full of unfair choices, Charles, but at least give her the option to make them herself."

I left him thinking on that. I headed to the library, to see what options it had in other languages. Fate was surely intervening when I met Moira there, cataloguing just what reference books resided there.

No one had ever accused me of being overly cautious, so I simply spoke my mind. "You'd be good here, Moira. But unfortunately, you'll have to choose whether you want this life, or your life in the CIA."

"I'd give up the CIA in a heartbeat, if Charles would let me stay here permanently," was her instant reply. "I believe in what you're doing here, Bianca. I want to be part of that."

"Then I suggest you have a little chat with Charles," I smiled. "And, for what it's worth, it'll be nice to have another woman around."

She sent me a quick, grateful smile, then hurried out of the room. "He's in his office," I called after her, then settled into my own assigned task. After all, we did have a school to run.

 **AN: And that's all, folks! Thanks for hanging in there with me and Bianca, though this isn't the end of her story, simply this story. I'll be posting the sequel, The Call of Serenity, soon enough, and I'm really excited about it! Thanks for reading, and a huge thanks to those of you who took the time to review. See you all in the sequel!**


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